Is Kimpo’s Real Estate Market Set to Boom? Discover the Impact of the 5th Subway Line Extension

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'Park Sang-yong Solo Hearing' Held by People Power — Public Already Knows Who Was Responsible for the Northward Remittances

People Power summoned Deputy Chief Prosecutor Park Sang-yong of the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office after he refused to take an oath at a parliamentary probe led by the Democratic Party into alleged politically motivated prosecutions under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. The party held a separate hearing and vowed to join the public in stopping what it called a political operation aimed at erasing Lee Jae-myung’s alleged crimes.

People Power members Kim Hyung-dong, Gwak Gyu-taek, Park Hyung-soo, Song Seok-joon, Shin Dong-wook, Yoon Sang-hyun and Lee Sang-hwi — all members of the special committee investigating alleged manipulated indictments under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration — convened a hearing on the 7th with Prosecutor Park, who led the investigation into Ssangbangwool’s alleged remittances to North Korea, to examine claims that the Democratic Party manipulated prosecutions and court proceedings.

The hearing followed the disruption of the committee’s earlier session at 10 a.m., when Park refused to take the witness oath. Park had walked out of the April 3 committee meeting after declining the oath. Under the National Assembly Act, a witness may refuse to take an oath if doing so could expose them to criminal prosecution or reveal facts that might lead to charges or a guilty verdict.

Park was suspended from duty by the Ministry of Justice on the 6th. Acting Prosecutor General Koo Ja-hyun (deputy prosecutor general at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office) asked Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho to suspend Park’s duties under Article 8 of the Prosecutor Discipline Act. Minister Jeong ordered the suspension after an internal inquiry flagged possible breaches of official duties during the Northward remittance probe and noted language and conduct that raised concerns about the investigation’s impartiality.

People Power Says Reaching a Ruling-Opposition Forum Is a Win — Expects Constructive Cooperation

People Power said it declined to give a direct answer to a request that President Lee Jae-myung publicly pledge not to seek another term or back-to-back terms ahead of any constitutional amendment. The party nonetheless framed the agreement to hold a ruling-opposition consultative forum on the national economy as an achievement and expressed cautious optimism about cooperative policymaking.

Chief Spokesperson Choi Bo-yoon told reporters at the National Assembly on the 7th that, in a closed meeting about the supplementary budget, Party Leader Jang Dong-hyuk and Floor Leader Song Eon-seok outlined seven critical citizen-focused projects in detail and stressed their urgency. He said the Democratic Party indicated it would give the proposals “positive consideration.”

Choi added that budget specifics are still under discussion in the National Assembly and that Jang and Song walked through the details. Representative Jeong Cheong-rae of the Democratic Party accepted parts of the proposals, he said, and further discussions are expected. Both sides found common ground, and the Democratic Party clearly signaled a willingness to consider the measures positively.

Jeong Cheong-rae Orders Emergency Ethics Probe into Lee Won-taek, North Jeolla Gubernatorial Pre-candidate, over Alleged Meal Payment

On the 7th, Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheong-rae directed an emergency ethics investigation into Rep. Lee Won-taek (Gunsan–Gimje–Buan), a pre-candidate for governor of North Jeolla Province.

The Democratic Party notified the press that Jeong had ordered the ethics team to investigate following media reports about Lee, but the party did not disclose details of the allegations.

Earlier that day, one outlet reported that evidence had emerged suggesting a third party covered a large restaurant bill — including food and alcohol — on Rep. Lee’s behalf, sparking growing controversy.

Rep. Lee issued a statement calling the reports black propaganda and false information intended to disrupt the Democratic Party primary. He vowed to fight any attempt to mislead residents and party members.

[On the Ground] “Undervalued Gimpo Is Stirring”… Hopes Rise as Line 5 Extension Boosts Transit Prospects

\”Compared with other Seoul metropolitan areas, Gimpo has been undervalued. As the Line 5 extension starts to look real, the mood is slowly changing.\” (A broker at a real estate office in Pungmu-dong, Gimpo)

Gimpo’s apartment market in Gyeonggi Province has recently shown renewed activity.

The Seoul Subway Line 5 extension to Gimpo and Geomdan passed a preliminary feasibility review conducted by the Budget and Planning Office. Because the area has long suffered from poor transit links, expectations that a direct Seoul connection will revive property values have gained traction.

Real estate offices around Pungmu-dong and Janggi-dong told reporters on the 7th that they expect the apartment sales market to pick up now that the Line 5 extension cleared the feasibility review.

On the 10th of last month, Gyeonggi Province said the Seoul Line 5 Gimpo–Geomdan extension exceeded the pass mark of 0.5 in the policy comprehensive assessment (AHP) conducted by the Budget and Planning Office’s fiscal project evaluation subcommittee and was judged feasible.

The Line 5 Gimpo–Geomdan extension is a roughly 25.8 km regional rail project that would run from Seoul’s Banghwa Station through Gimpo Pungmu Station and Janggi Station to the Gimpo Hangang 2 Compact City zone.

Gimpo currently operates the two-car Gimpo Gold Line, so officials expect the Line 5 extension to significantly ease local transit problems. If construction proceeds on schedule, commuters could ride Line 5 into Seoul as early as 2033.

[Fuel-Price Shock: 2,000-KRW Barrier Broken] Psychological Threshold Collapses… Drivers Flock to Cheaper Stations [Dailyan Visits 142]

The average retail price of gasoline in Seoul topped 2,000 KRW per liter (approximately $1.50) on the 7th, and the national average climbed past 1,960 KRW (approximately $1.47), putting the 2,000 KRW (approximately $1.50) threshold within reach. Residents reacted with concern to what many called an “oil shock,” and long lines formed at stations offering lower prices.

According to the Korea National Oil Corporation’s OPinet system, as of 4 p.m. that day Seoul’s average gasoline price rose 12.40 KRW (approximately $0.01) from the previous day to 2,002.79 KRW (approximately $1.50) per liter. Seoul’s average diesel price — commonly used by trucks and many SUVs — rose 15.31 KRW (approximately $0.01) to 1,983.31 KRW (approximately $1.49) per liter at the same time.

Jeju, the country’s most expensive region for fuel, crossed the 2,000 KRW (approximately $1.50) mark on the 4th. As of 4 p.m., Jeju’s average gasoline price was 2,020.57 KRW (approximately $1.52) per liter, up 5.81 KRW (approximately $0.00) from the previous day. Jeju’s average diesel price was 1,997.07 KRW (approximately $1.50) per liter, up 9.15 KRW (approximately $0.01), nearing the 2,000 KRW level.

The nationwide average gasoline price continues to climb. As of 4 p.m., the national average gasoline price rose 10.01 KRW (approximately $0.01) from the previous day to 1,961.01 KRW (approximately $1.47) per liter, and the national average diesel price rose 10.60 KRW (approximately $0.01) to 1,959.81 KRW (approximately $1.47) per liter.

[Exclusive] Yang Hyang-ja: Are They Recruiting Mercenaries Again? Don’t Repeat the Han Deok-soo Mistake

Yang Hyang-ja, a People Power Supreme Council member, sharply criticized the party leadership’s effort to recruit additional candidates for the Gyeonggi governorship, saying the move undermines procedural legitimacy. A former Samsung executive known for her expertise in semiconductors, Yang expressed frustration that the party appears to favor external recruits over internal talent.

In a call with Dailyan on the 7th, Yang said, \”If this strategy was planned from the start, they should not have solicited applications. A month has passed since my interview on the 10th of last month. Now, without any guiding principles or standards, they are only looking outside — that’s a problem.\”

She referenced past missteps and asked whether the party was poised to repeat another \”Han Deok-soo mercenary failure.\” She warned against overreliance on outsiders at the expense of the party’s identity and momentum.

Yang also criticized internal conduct, saying a nominated supreme council member has disparaged elected officials, and that suggestions to hand that elected post later to someone else constitute actions that harm the party.

Democratic Party Picks Chu Mi-ae as Final Gyeonggi Governor Candidate after Winning Majority

The Democratic Party selected Rep. Chu Mi-ae as its candidate for Gyeonggi Province governor in the June 3 local elections. Chu secured a majority of the votes and clinched the nomination without a runoff.

Soe Byung-hoon, chair of the party’s central election management committee, announced the primary results at the party headquarters in Yeouido on the afternoon of the 7th.

Soe explained that if no candidate achieves a majority, the party holds a runoff between the top two vote-getters. In this primary, however, the top candidate secured a majority, so the final nominee was confirmed without a runoff.

The Democratic Party combined 50% from the party membership vote and 50% from a public-opinion poll of general citizens using anonymized phone numbers to determine the outcome between the 5th and the 7th.

With Chu winning a majority, candidates Han Jun-ho and Kim Dong-yeon conceded defeat.