An analysis by the office of Rep. Yoon Han-hong of the People Power Party, based on this year's Chuseok gift distribution records obtained from Kangwon Land, showed on Saturday that the company sent gifts to a total of 12 people: three Democratic Party members of the Gangwon Provincial Council and nine members of the Chuncheon, Cheorwon, Hwacheon and Yanggu city and county councils. The gift was a box of yakgwa, a traditional Korean confection, worth 38,000 won. Among the province's 18 city and county councils, Kangwon Land sent gifts only to Chuncheon, Cheorwon, Hwacheon and Yanggu, apart from the former mining districts of Taebaek, Samcheok, Yeongwol and Jeongseon. Those four areas make up the district — Chuncheon-Cheorwon-Hwacheon-Yanggu B — where Yoo served as party district chairman.
Yoo, who took office on Sept. 3, held the party post concurrently for about a month. He stepped down only on Oct. 2, the day Yoon's office asked Kangwon Land for documents on whether he had applied for permission to hold a concurrent position. That stands in contrast to Kangwon Land Chief Executive Kim Do-gyun, who relinquished all party positions, including Democratic Party district chairman and Gangwon provincial party chairman, in August before taking office.
Asked by Yoon's office to explain the dual role, Kangwon Land said Yoo "had planned to resign regardless of the document request." The company also explained that, under the relevant guidelines, an executive may apply for concurrent-position approval within one month of taking office, and that there was no problem because he resigned before that deadline, Yoon's office said.
Critics say the circumstances warrant scrutiny, given that an executive at a state-run institution retained a party post while using the institution's budget to send gifts to local council members in his constituency. "There must be a thorough audit covering how the gift recipients were selected, whether the executive directed or was involved in the decision, and whether the budget was properly spent, to establish clearly whether public institution resources were used for political purposes," Yoon said.