Prime Minister nominee Han Sung-sook is seen arriving at the hearing preparation office at the Korea Financial Supervisory Service in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 12th. [Yonhap News]

The ruling and opposition parties clashed on the 13th over real estate issues owned by Prime Minister nominee Han Sung-sook.

The People Power Party criticized nominee Han for neglecting the illegal expansion of a building she owned, only to have it demolished immediately after her nomination. The Democratic Party of Korea, in response, urged them to stop their misguided attempts to smear her.

Park Sung-hoon, the chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, stated in a comment that day, "Nominee Han was aware of the illegal expansion of the building she owns in Jongno-gu but did not rectify it for a long time." He added, "She promised 'swift action' during the confirmation hearing for the Minister of SMEs and Startups last year, but afterward, she seemed to mock the correction orders and forced payment orders by simply paying money."

He continued, "Then, only after being nominated as Prime Minister did she belatedly undertake the demolition. This is not the behavior of a responsible public official, but merely a hastily organized measure to evade criticism, designed to meet public expectations."

He also pointed out, "Nominee Han is a multi-homeowner, possessing a total of four houses: three in Seoul and one in Gyeonggi Province." He further criticized, "She recently sold her apartment in Jamsil, pocketing a massive speculative gain of nearly 3 billion won."

In response, Kang Joon-hyun, the chief spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, commented, "Nominee Han has expressed her apologies to the public regarding the personal issues raised against her, has provided a full account of the circumstances, and is actively taking appropriate measures." He urged, "Stop the misguided attempts to smear her."

He explained, "Nominee Han sold her Jamsil apartment, despite her mother and siblings residing there, at a price about 400 million won lower than the previous transaction. She is also pursuing the sale of her houses in Gangnam and Yangpyeong at prices approximately 600 million won and 300 million won lower, respectively."

He continued, "This reflects the nominee's intention to resolve her multi-home ownership and comply with real estate stabilization policies, even at the cost of personal loss. The People Power Party is repeatedly clinging to only a few past details, ignoring the nominee's fundamental intentions."