INCHEON — Elected officials who took office in Incheon after the June 3 local elections disclosed their assets for the first time, with Mayor Park Chan-dae reporting 2.9 billion won ($2.1 million). The wealthiest among all elected officials in the city was Han Kyu-chang, a Geomdan district councilor, who reported about 8.4 billion won.
Park's total assets came to 2.9 billion won, according to a government gazette published by the Government Public Service Ethics Committee on the 29th. That is about 1.1 billion won more than the 1.81 billion won reported by his predecessor, former Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, before leaving office in March. For Park individually, the figure is 33.81 million won higher than the 2.87 billion won he reported when he resigned his National Assembly seat in April. Compared with the regular disclosure in March, however, when he reported 3.08 billion won, his assets fell by 170.67 million won, reflecting campaign spending and other outlays. Nam Young-hee, vice mayor for political affairs of the global city, registered 804.6 million won.
A district councilor outranked both the mayor and all district chiefs as Incheon's wealthiest elected official. According to a bulletin from the Incheon Public Service Ethics Committee, Han reported 8.41 billion won. His holdings include a half stake in a Hanyang apartment in Seoul's Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam District, valued at 5.22 billion won, and land in Geomdan's Dangha-dong and Majeon-dong worth 6.66 billion won. That exceeds the totals of both Kim Chan-jin, head of Dong District, now Jemulpo District, who led among Incheon's local government chiefs in the March regular disclosure with 5.72 billion won, and Shin Dong-seop, who topped the city council with 4.06 billion won. Kim Sook-eui, a Gyeyang district councilor, ranked second among district councilors with 6.37 billion won, including unlisted shares.
Among the seven new heads of basic local governments covered in the September interim disclosure, Park Hyung-woo of Gyeyang District reported the most at 1.8 billion won. He was followed by Ku Jae-yong of Seohae District with 1.79 billion won, Lee Byung-rae of Namdong District with 1.48 billion won, Jang Jung-min of Ongjin County with 1.33 billion won, Kim Jung-sik of Michuhol District with 1.09 billion won and Kim Jin-kyu of Geomdan District with 753.76 million won. Son Hwa-jung of Yeongjong District reported the lowest among the new district chiefs at 151.25 million won. Figures from the March regular disclosure remain in place for Lee Jae-ho of Yeonsu District with 1.77 billion won, Cha Jun-taek of Bupyeong District with 981.35 million won and Park Yong-chul of Ganghwa County with 416.35 million won, all of whom were excluded from this interim disclosure because they were reelected.
At the Incheon Metropolitan Council, the metropolitan-level assembly, Lim Ae-sook reported the highest total at 3.52 billion won. Lee Beom-seok reported the lowest among council members at 13.8 million won.
The 160 members of the city's basic-level councils reported average assets of 820 million won.
The government and the Incheon Public Service Ethics Committee plan to review all officials under their jurisdiction by the end of December, examining how their assets were accumulated and whether any holdings went unreported.
