Kim Man-bae (left), major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu and a private developer in Daejang-dong, and lawyer Nam Wook. Yonhap News

Seongnam City has initiated procedures to reclaim the criminal proceeds of private developers involved in the Daejang-dong project.

According to a Chosun Ilbo report on the 26th, Seongnam City has reportedly obtained a list of assets belonging to the private developers from the prosecution. The prosecution estimates the criminal proceeds to be approximately 207 billion won, and Seongnam City plans to file for provisional attachment based on this asset list.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office confirmed on the 20th that it provided access to the criminal trial records related to forfeiture and preservation for the Daejang-dong private developers, along with their asset lists, at the request of Seongnam City, the newspaper reported. The asset list includes information on the developers' real estate and bank accounts. The asset list obtained by Seongnam City spans about 50 pages.

Following the prosecution's decision to waive their appeal in the first trial of the Daejang-dong case, private developers including lawyer Nam Wook and Kim Man-bae are reportedly considering ways to regain access to the 207 billion won in assets that have been frozen by the prosecution.

Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin stated, "We will also file civil lawsuits for damages against the decision-making line that funneled profits to criminals and caused harm to citizens," adding, "We will file for temporary disposition for the 207 billion won that criminals are demanding to be unfrozen as soon as the asset list is secured."

In connection with the prosecution's decision to waive the appeal, Mayor Shin had previously filed complaints on the 19th against Minister of Justice Chong Sung-ho, Vice Minister of Justice Lee Jin-soo, former Acting Prosecutor General Noh Man-seok, and former Seoul Central District Prosecutor General Jeong Jin-woo.

Meanwhile, Seongnam Urban Development Corporation has taken steps to seek remedy for the damages incurred due to the Daejang-dong development corruption.

The first trial of the civil lawsuit (action for confirmation of invalidity of dividend resolution) filed by the corporation against "Seongnamui Teul," the project company for the Daejang-dong development, will be held on the 9th of next month at the Suwon District Court.

Editorial Department, Hanmi Ilbo