Lee Hye-hoon faces scrutiny over housing allegations

Lee Hye-hoon, the nominee for minister of the Planning and Budget Office, appeared at a National Assembly confirmation hearing on Friday. She said allegations that she improperly secured an apartment at the One Pentas complex in Seoul’s Seocho District arose from her eldest son’s marital difficulties at the time.

She said her son and his wife were unable to live together, leaving him no choice but to stay with her. Lee rejected criticism that she falsely listed her married son as a dependent to qualify for the housing subscription, a practice known as “disguised singleness.” Critics said her testimony raised further doubts, noting that she did not provide evidence showing her son actually lived with her.

Lee added that her eldest son held a wedding ceremony in December 2023 and set up a new home in Yongsan District, but problems emerged shortly afterward. Under those circumstances, she said, he had no option but to continue living with his parents.

Lee is accused of inflating her housing subscription score by registering her married son as a dependent, which helped her win the apartment allocation in July 2024. The unit reportedly had a presale price of about 3.6 billion won, while its current market value is estimated at more than 8 billion won.

When asked whether her son and daughter-in-law have since reconciled, Lee said all parties had made significant efforts and that she believed at the time the relationship had broken down. She acknowledged, however, that she could not provide documents when opposition lawmakers requested transportation card or credit card records to verify her son’s actual residence.

Lee also addressed questions regarding her son’s admission to Yonsei University in 2010, saying he appeared to have been accepted through a special admissions track recognizing contributions to national prestige. She noted that her father-in-law, former Interior Minister Kim Tae-ho, had received the Order of Service Merit, Cheongjo, which she argued qualified her son under that category. Rep. Choi Eun-seok of the People Power Party questioned whether receiving a state decoration constituted enhancing national prestige and suggested the possibility of preferential treatment, highlighting that Lee’s husband served as a senior university administrator at the time.

Lee said the series of allegations had overshadowed calls for unity and that the focus on her personal controversies was harming President Lee Jae-myung and the administration, which is grounded in popular sovereignty. She added that even if she alone had to bear the criticism, the barriers still needed to be overcome.

Criticism also came from within the Democratic Party of Korea. Rep. Jin Sung-joon called the improper subscription allegations a clear violation of the law. Rep. Jung Il-young suggested that Lee should step aside, saying she should address such issues elsewhere rather than pursue the ministerial post.


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