44.6 Billion Won Owned by Presidential Secretary for Personnel Affairs Lee Won-mo, Richest Public Official in the Yoon Suk-yeol Government

Lee Won-mo, the secretary for personnel affairs in the Office of the President, owned property worth over 40 billion won. Lee was the richest public official, whose property was disclosed after being newly appointed as the president’s personnel secretary by the Yoon Suk-yeol government.

According to the details of the property owned by public officials, published in the government newsletter by the Government Ethics Committee on October 28, Lee, a former prosecutor, reported his property at 44,595,950,000 won. The unlisted stocks owned by his wife, Shin (32,857,200,000 won), including 20,000 shares of Green Myeongpum Pharmaceutical Co. and 40,000 shares of Jaseng Bio, accounted for the biggest portion of Lee’s property. Shin also possessed a studio apartment in Dogok-dong, Gangnam and 64 store spaces in Sanggye-dong, Nowon in Seoul. Shin’s father is the chairman of a well-known medical foundation providing traditional Korean medical services. She stirred controversy after accompanying the first couple to the NATO summit as a civilian.

Lee Won-mo also owns listed shares amounting to 231,050,000 won, including 2,341 shares of Woori Technology Investment Co. According to Lee, he and his wife have sold some of the stocks they owned, and the Examination Committee on Blind Trust of Stocks is reviewing the rest to see if there is any relevance to his duties.

Lee Won-mo reported the most property so far among the public officials whose property was disclosed in the government newsletter after they were appointed by the Yoon Suk-yeol government. When the list of property was disclosed in August, Kim So-young, vice chairman of the Financial Services Commission reported property worth 29,204,490,000 won. Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho followed with 16,043,060,000 won. Last month, Kim Dong-jo, the presidential speech secretary, disclosed his property worth 12.4 billion won.

Joo Jin-woo, the president’s legal secretary and another former prosecutor, reported his property worth 7,266,290,000 won. He was the second richest among the presidential secretaries who disclosed their property this day. The majority of his property was land, including woodland in Sacheon, Gyeongsangnam-do (2,226,970,000 won), and savings (3,090,980,000 won). Secretary Joo also owned listed stocks worth 839,450,000 won including 68,891 shares of DB, 47,639 shares of Mediana, and 5,728 shares of Ace Tech. Joo’s eldest son was gifted 741,910,000 won by his grandfather, and he had fully paid the gift tax.

Lee Si-won (3,099,500,000 won), the secretary to the president on public office discipline; Kwon Seong-yeon (3,811,950,000 won), the presidential secretary on education; Yoo Byung-chae (4,119,890,000 won), the presidential secretary on culture and sports; Yi Byeong-hwa (3,879,340,000 won), the presidential secretary on climate and environment; and Im Seong-jun (3,379,890,000 won), the presidential secretary on state tasks all reported property exceeding 3 billion won. They were all former government officials, except Lee Si-won, a former prosecutor.

Kim Joo-hyun, the chairman of the Financial Services Commission and Yoon Hee-sung, president of the Export-Import Bank, disclosed their property worth 2,912,440,000 won and 2,531,080,000 won, respectively. Kim owned an apartment that will be reconstructed in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu in Seoul. Yun owned listed stocks worth 171,220,000 won including 1,300 shares of Yungjin Pharm and 1,130 shares of Paradise.

Among the government officials who disclosed their property this day, owners of multiple homes with an apartment in both Seoul and Sejong drew attention. Yi Byeong-hwa, formerly an official in the Ministry of Environment, had an apartment in Bangok-dong, Sejong and one in Daechi-dong, Gangnam (Seoul). Choi Byeong-gwan, the director of the Local Fiscal and Economic Policy Office in the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, possessed an apartment in Jiphyeon-dong, Sejong and one in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam (Seoul). Hwang Jeong-hun, chief of the Tax Tribunal who formerly served in the Ministry of Economy and Finance, owned an apartment in Naseong-dong, Sejong and one in Ichon, Yongsan-gu (Seoul). Ju Dae-yeong, deputy secretary general of the 2050 Carbon Neutrality Commission owned an apartment in Sangil-dong, Gangdong-gu (Seoul), and his wife owned an apartment in Dodam-dong, Sejong.

There were also some retired senior officials, whose property increased due to higher real estate prices. Koh Seung-beom, former chairman of the Financial Services Commission, reported his property at 6,684,280,000 won, 800 million won more than in March (5,840,260,000 won), after reflecting the climbing price of his apartment in Apgujeong, Seoul.