▲ Nominee for Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Lee Hyung-il answers lawmakers' questions during a confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 15th.
Lee Hyung-il, nominee for Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, addressed the controversy surrounding his non-residence in an apartment in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, stating today (the 15th), "I feel apologetic for parts that fell short of the public's expectations."
Lee made the remarks during a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly's Strategy and Finance Committee today, addressing the fact that he has actually lived in the apartment for only four months while owning it for 17 years.
However, refuting the "gap investment suspicions" raised mainly by the opposition party, he explained the circumstances at the time of purchasing the apartment and countered, "I bought it with the actual intention of living there."
Lee stated, "Around January 2009, while living in Pyeongchon, I was notified to work at the Blue House." He added, "At the time, the atmosphere required commuting from early in the morning, so I hurriedly found a rented home in Gwacheon in February of that year."
He went on to explain, "Later, I bought an apartment that fit my financial situation and where I could actually live, but because I had already rented and was living in a home in Gwacheon, I could not move into the purchased apartment right away."
Lee's side explained that circumstances making it difficult for him to directly reside in the apartment continued thereafter.
Lee relocated his residence to Daejeon following the Ministry of Economy and Finance's relocation to Sejong City in December 2012, and was dispatched overseas to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) for three years starting in 2015.
During the remaining periods, he lived in rented housing in Anyang, Gwacheon, and Seoul, Gyeonggi Province.
Regarding the purchase of the apartment while a tenant lease was attached, he stated, "The purchase price was 420 million won and the lease deposit was about 110 million won," adding, "I bought it without any loans."
At the same time, he emphasized, "As a lifelong single-home owner, I held onto it for a long time and wanted to keep living there, but conditions made it difficult."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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