Kim Min-seok's mother villa contract controversy, explanation for 'caring for stray cats'

Kim Min-seok, the Prime Minister nominee, explained the fact that an associate who had signed a one-year lease contract for his mother's villa moved out after two months, and currently his spouse has moved in.

On the 24th, during a personnel hearing held in the National Assembly, Kim elaborated, saying, "My wife needed a larger space because she takes in many stray cats."

When asked by People's Power lawmaker Kwak Kyu-taek, "Who was the actual resident?" Kim responded, "Mr. Lee, a businessman, had to end the contract because the conditions did not match, and our spouse needed to move in to get married, so the contract was changed."

Kim further stated, "That individual (Mr. Lee) signed the contract, but at that time, the villa was old and a bit spacious, so I heard it was contracted for something like a shared house to start a small business."

He added, "That house is old and requires a lot of repair costs, and it was his judgment that it wasn't suitable. At that time, my wife had to move from Gyeonggi Province to Seoul before our marriage, and since she takes in a lot of stray cats, she needed a space for them. That house has quite a few rooms."

Regarding the fact that his mother-in-law entered into the lease agreement, he dismissed it, saying, "As my wife moved in with me, my mother-in-law, who had to go back and forth to the hospital, moved into that villa."

According to the documents related to Kim's appointment endorsement, Mr. Lee, a businessman who served as a director of the non-profit organization 'iShare Pro Bono Korea,' where Kim was a representative director, signed a one-year rental contract worth 200 million won for Kim's mother's villa in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul in March 2019.

Mr. Lee canceled the lease contract two months later, in May 2019, and Kim's current spouse signed a new lease contract worth approximately 250 million won. Kim married in December 2019.

This has raised suspicions that Kim actually used that house as a newlywed home, and that Mr. Lee paid the deposit for the lease instead of Kim.

In response to the suspicion raised by lawmaker Kwak that "It seems that Mr. Lee paid the deposit for the lease that your spouse should have paid. You are not submitting account details," Kim rebutted, "Since I am not the contract party, I am not directly related to it."

Furthermore, he questioned, "Why should I agree to disclose something I am not aware of?” and added, "If you provide past precedents, I will answer based on those."

This is seen as an interpretation that even Prime Minister Han Duck-soo of Yoon Suk-yeol's government did not agree to such disclosures.

Meanwhile, according to Article 86 of the Constitution, the President must obtain the National Assembly's consent to appoint the Prime Minister. The Democratic Party plans to process Kim's confirmation during the June National Assembly session.

Image source: Kim Min-seok Prime Minister nominee / News1, President Lee Jae-myung introduced Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok during a briefing at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 4th / News1, President Lee Jae-myung (then representative of the Democratic Party) is seen conversing with Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok (then a Supreme Committee member) during a general meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 13th / News1, last month on the 28th, President Lee Jae-myung (then the Democratic presidential candidate) attended a Supreme Committee meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, discussing with Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok (then a Supreme Committee member) / News1