Property of Lawmakers Increases By an Average of 93 Million Won

The National Assembly’s Committee on Public Officials’ Morals revealed reports of changes to properties in 2004 of 294 lawmakers on February 28. According to the reports, despite the worst economic depression in recent memory, the property of lawmakers has increased by 93 million won per person on average. The property of 201 lawmakers (68.4 percent) increased, that of 92 lawmakers (31.3 percent) decreased, and that of one lawmaker (0.3 percent) remained unchanged.

Classified by parties, Grand National Party (GNP) lawmakers reported an increase in property by 114 million won on average, Uri Party lawmakers reported a 56.21 million won increase, Democratic Labor Party lawmakers reported a 27.69 million won increase, and Millennium Democratic Party lawmakers reported a 17.59 million won increase on average.

A total of 65 lawmakers reported an increase in their properties of more than 100 million won, while 24 lawmakers reported property decreases of more than 100 million won.

Individually, the property of Rep. Kim Yang-soo of the opposition GNP increased by 7.09 billion won, ranking him first in net change to property. Rep. Chung Mong-joon, an independent member, reported a 4.41 billion won increase; Rep. Kim Moo-sung of the GNP reported a 2.79 billion won increase; and Rep. Lee Kye-ahn of the Uri Party reported a 1.54 billion won increase.

Meanwhile, in the case of lawmakers whose properties decreased, Rep. Woo Je-chang of the ruling Uri Party ranked first with a 522 million won decrease, followed by Rep. Nam Kyung-phil of the GNP’s 508 million won decrease, and Rep. Chung Moon-heon of the GNP’s 398 million won decrease.

Accordingly, Rep. Chung Mong-joon ranked first in total property, possessing 261 billion won, followed by GNP lawmakers Chung Ui-wha (18.4 billion won), Rep. Kim Yang-soo (15 billion won), and Rep. Lee Jung-il of the Millennium Democratic Party (12.9 billion won). On the other hand, Rep. Hyun Ae-Ja of the Democratic Labor Party came in with the lowest rank at minus-545 million won.

Meanwhile, according to the Supreme Court’s reports of changes to properties revealed by the Committee on Public Officials’ Morals of the Supreme Court of Korea through an official gazette on February 28, 99 (81.1 percent) of 122 public officials who are required to reveal their properties holdings, including high-ranking judicial officers above the rank of director of the appellate court, and first rank officials reported an increase in their properties.

In addition, according to the official bulletin of the Constitutional Court’s Committee on Public Officials’ Morals, nine out of 13 high-ranking public officials, including nine justices (including the president of the Constitutional Court, Yun Young-chul) and four executive members of the Department of Court Administration above the first rank reported an increase in their properties.

Among public officials of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court whose property holdings are supposed to be made open to the public, the property of 18 public officials (13.3 percent) increased by more than 100 million won, while that of four public officials (4.4 percent) decreased by more than 100 million won.

Young-Chan Yoon yyc11@donga.com jin0619@donga.com