Testimony alleges false statements in residence audit

Court testimony has raised new questions about whether a presidential office official attempted to influence responses ahead of an audit into alleged preferential treatment in the relocation of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, during the administration of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

At a hearing on March 30 at the Seoul Central District Court, a construction firm owner said he was asked to submit a false statement. The case, heard by a criminal panel led by Presiding Judge Lee Young-sun, involves former Land, Infrastructure and Transport Vice Minister Kim Oh-jin, former presidential office administrative officer Hwang Seung-ho, and Kim Tae-young, head of 21gram, the firm that led the relocation project.

The witness, whose company lent its name to 21gram, said Hwang instructed him to submit a written response stating that his firm had directly carried out the expansion work and that all related materials had been discarded by the Presidential Security Service after completion because the residence is a secure facility. The testimony aligns with a recorded phone call disclosed in court by the special counsel investigating allegations involving former First Lady Kim Keon Hee.

Asked whether Hwang had dictated the wording of the response in detail, the witness said he had. When asked whether the Presidential Security Service had actually destroyed any materials, the witness said it had not.

According to the special counsel, 21gram lacked the required comprehensive construction license at the time of the 2022 project. It instead used the construction firm’s name to sign the contract while carrying out the work itself.

The witness also said those involved appeared to have coordinated their accounts when preparing responses for the audit, identifying Hwang as leading the effort. While Hwang did not explicitly say the audit would be blocked, the witness said he understood the remarks to mean its scope could be reduced.


여근호 기자 yeoroot@donga.com