The special counsel team led by Kwon Chang-young will summon former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong on July 23 for questioning regarding allegations surrounding the change in the Yangpyeong Expressway route.
The special counsel team announced through a media notice today (July 18) that "former Minister Won is scheduled to appear for questioning at 10:00 a.m. on July 23."
Previously, the special counsel team had twice notified Won to appear for questioning as a suspect on charges of abuse of power, but the notices were not delivered as he was absent with the doors locked.
The allegations regarding the Yangpyeong Expressway route change center on claims that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport granted preferential treatment by altering the terminal point of the project to an area where the family of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's spouse, Kim Keon-hee, owns land while pushing forward with the project in 2023.
The original route with its terminal in Yangseo-myeon had passed a preliminary feasibility study in 2021, but suspicions of preferential treatment arose when the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport began reviewing a route with its terminal in Gangsang-myeon, where the family of Kim Keon-hee owns land, in May 2023.
As the controversy grew, Won announced the cancellation of the project in July of that year.
The special counsel team is investigating whether Won failed to follow legal procedures during this process.
The special counsel team led by Min Joong-ki, which previously investigated this matter, indicted a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport official surnamed Kim and employees of the Korea Expressway Corporation on charges of abuse of power, but failed to establish the charges against former Minister Won Hee-ryong, who was identified as the "higher-up" figure.
After taking over the case, the special counsel team imposed a travel ban on Won in March and has continued the investigation by conducting search and seizure operations at the National Information Resources Service, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the office of former Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Baek Won-kook in April.
The special counsel team seized Won's mobile phone on July 15, and Won posted on his social media that day, "I will never yield to unreasonable investigations and unfair application of the law."
(Photo: Yonhap News)