The Democratic Party has declared a full-scale response to allegations of corruption and cover-ups surrounding the Han River bus project in Seoul. They are calling for a thorough investigation into Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who has been accused in this matter.
On the morning of November 3, the Democratic Party's 'Han River Bus Corruption Cover-Up Investigation Team' and the Democratic Party members of the Seoul City Council held a joint press conference in the council's main conference room, raising concerns about the suspension of investigations and the destruction of evidence.
Park Ju-min, the head of the investigation team and a Democratic Party lawmaker, stated, "It is still unclear who halted the investigation request, why key allegations were omitted from the audit request to the Board of Audit and Inspection, and who ordered the destruction of investigation materials." He warned that if additional evidence of corruption or cover-up emerges during the administrative audit, they would file further complaints.
The Democratic Party specifically highlighted that in September 2025, evidence of misconduct was reported to Mayor Oh, and an investigation request was drafted, yet no actual request was made. They aim to clarify the circumstances surrounding the halt of the investigation request and identify those responsible.
Kim Nam-geun, a Democratic Party lawmaker and secretary of the investigation team, pressed on allegations of bribery during the shipbuilding process. He remarked, "The claim that 1.5 billion won, which is 10% of the total project cost, was used as a bribe is shocking in itself. This indicates that the shipbuilding was poorly executed, posing a significant threat to the safety of Seoul citizens."
Park Yu-jin, head of the Han River Bus Investigation Task Force at the Seoul City Council, alleged that Mayor Oh committed five legal violations, including dereliction of duty, abuse of power, evidence concealment, violations of the Public Official Election Act, and breaches of the Anti-Corruption and Whistleblower Protection Act.
Seoul City Council members also raised concerns about the abnormal financial contributions from SH Corporation, the public enterprise overseeing the project. Council member Lee So-ra pointed out that SH had set aside approximately 47.4 billion won for bad debt provisions and that unpaid interest and delayed damages amounted to about 2.9 billion won.
She questioned, "Can a public enterprise that holds a 51% stake and has committed to lending 109 billion won merely act as a 'money provider'?" She emphasized the need to scrutinize whether the continuous financial contributions from SH, justified by the project being a priority for Seoul, reflect normal public enterprise management.
Council member Kim Mi-joo mentioned that they would also investigate any undue pressure or retaliatory actions against whistleblowers.
Lee Sang-hoon, the Democratic Party's representative in the Seoul City Council, stated that after the administrative audit, five Democratic council members would question Mayor Oh and consider invoking administrative investigation powers if further allegations arise.
After the press conference, Park Ju-min immediately went to the Namdaemun Police Station to undergo an investigation regarding the allegations of violations of the Public Official Election Act against Mayor Oh.
At around 10:30 a.m., Park spoke to reporters outside the police station, criticizing Mayor Oh for providing misleading explanations regarding the audit results from the Board of Audit and Inspection.
He pointed out that on March 17, the day Mayor Oh announced his participation in the People Power Party's mayoral primary, he claimed that the allegations of selecting incompetent contractors had been completely resolved, which Park deemed false.
He added, "It is unacceptable to mislead citizens about corruption allegations, especially with the potential to influence many voters ahead of the election. This constitutes a serious legal violation."
Park noted, "The statute of limitations is only until December 3, leaving just over a month," and pledged to submit additional evidence and request a swift investigation.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.