Defense minister nominee accused of using fake residency to secure Seoul apartment allocation

Defense Minister nominee Kang Shin-chul has been accused of posing as a displaced resident to secure a special allocation of an apartment in Seoul’s Seocho District.

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The nominee appears to have falsely registered his residence to obtain displaced-person status and receive a special allocation of an apartment in Seocho District valued at 2.2 billion won.

Reform Party lawmaker Chun Ha-ram, a member of the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, made the allegation at a news conference on the 6th. Chun said Kang had carried out a deliberate change of address while serving in a frontline military unit in Gangwon Province, obtained displaced-person status, and acquired an apartment at Seocho Nature Hill 3 through a special allocation.

“Based on the circumstances, the nominee appears to have falsely registered his residence to obtain displaced-person status and receive a special allocation of an apartment in Seocho District valued at 2.2 billion won,” Chun said. He described Kang’s conduct as “playing the role of a displaced resident” to obtain the property improperly.

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He used his hometown, Seoul, as his address during rotating service in remote areas.

Kang’s side rejected the accusation. It said he maintained an address in his hometown, Seoul, while moving through remote-area military assignments and regularly staying there. It said the claim that he made a fraudulent housing application was untrue.

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The claim that this was a fraudulent housing application is untrue.