logo
Presidential hopefuls disclose assets: Ahn richest at W137b, Lee at W3b

Presidential hopefuls disclose assets: Ahn richest at W137b, Lee at W3b

Korea Herald29-03-2025
Rep. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and a leading presidential contender if an early election is called, reported over 3 billion won ($2 million) in personal assets, government data showed Thursday.
According to annual asset disclosures released separately by the National Assembly's Ethics Committee and the Government Public Ethics Committee, Lee's total assets amounted to 3.08 billion won as of the end of 2023, down 26 million won from the previous year.
Lee jointly owns an apartment in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, with his wife Kim Hye-kyung. The apartment was valued at 1.45 billion won — up 4.97 percent from a year earlier.
He also reported purchasing a 2024 Genesis G80 sedan. His financial assets include 1.584 billion won in bank savings and 138 million won in liabilities.
Among other presidential hopefuls from the Democratic Party, Gyeonggi Province Gov. Kim Dong-yeon — considered a key figure in the party's anti-Lee faction — reported assets worth 3.5 billion won, up 168 million won from the previous year.
From the ruling bloc, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon topped the list of sitting metropolitan mayors with 7.4 billion won in declared assets, marking an increase of 1.43 billion won on-year — the largest both in total assets and asset growth among regional government heads. The rise was attributed to gains in the value of US stocks, including Nvidia and MicroStrategy, despite a decline in his bank deposits, according to local reports.
Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo ranked third among metropolitan mayors with 4.26 billion won in assets. Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo reported 1.07 billion won, about 30 million won more than what he declared during his confirmation hearing in November last year.
Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the ruling People Power Party was the wealthiest among all presidential hopefuls, with 136.8 billion won in declared assets. His portfolio includes 1.86 million shares of AhnLab, a cybersecurity company he founded prior to entering politics, valued at 123.1 billion won.
Rep. Lee Jun-seok, leader of the minor conservative Reform Party and the first to officially declare his presidential bid, reported 1.47 billion won in assets.
Former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum and former South Gyeongsang Gov. Kim Kyung-soo — both considered potential opposition candidates — as well as former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon and former lawmaker Yoo Seong-min — key figures within the conservative bloc — were not subject to this round of asset disclosures as they neither hold public office nor serve in parliament.
According to a public opinion poll on support ratings for presidential hopefuls released Thursday by pollster Research View, Lee Jae-myung led the race with 48.3 percent support, followed by Kim Moon-soo (16.4 percent), Hong Joon-pyo (6.5 percent), Han Dong-hoon (5.7 percent), Oh Se-hoon (4.9 percent), and Kim Dong-yeon (3.1 percent).
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Lee to dispatch special envoys to Poland, Vietnam, Australia, Germany
Lee to dispatch special envoys to Poland, Vietnam, Australia, Germany

Korea Herald

time6 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

Lee to dispatch special envoys to Poland, Vietnam, Australia, Germany

President Lee Jae Myung will dispatch special envoys to Poland, Vietnam, Australia and Germany to deliver personal letters and discuss ways to expand bilateral cooperation, the presidential office said Friday. The envoys will depart consecutively starting Sunday and will meet with key officials in each country to convey Lee's message and explore opportunities to enhance friendly and cooperative ties, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung. The delegation to Poland, comprised of Reps. Park Jie-won, Eeo Ki-kyu and Jin Sun-mee of the ruling Democratic Party, will leave on Sunday for a five-day visit. During their stay, they plan to meet with government and parliamentary officials to review the growing defense industry cooperation between the two nations and discuss ways to further develop their strategic partnership, Kang said. The Vietnam delegation will be led by former lawmaker Lee In-ki and include two additional DP lawmakers and will depart on Monday. The group will deliver Seoul's commitment to strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the countries and will hold wide-ranging discussions on expanding practical cooperation particularly in infrastructure and energy. Former National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo will lead the Australian delegation, which is scheduled to leave on Monday for a four-day trip. The delegation will engage with Australian officials to discuss defense and defense industry ties, trade and supply chains and energy cooperation. The delegation to Germany will be headed by Lee Seog-yeon, a former minister of government legislation, and will depart on Wednesday. They plan to meet with German government officials to explore deeper cooperation in key sectors, such as manufacturing, digital transformation and artificial intelligence, as well as to exchange views on regional and global affairs. (Yonhap)

Lee visits Busan, pledges swift relocation of oceans ministry
Lee visits Busan, pledges swift relocation of oceans ministry

Korea Herald

time7 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

Lee visits Busan, pledges swift relocation of oceans ministry

President Lee Jae Myung visited Busan on Friday and pledged to swiftly relocate the oceans ministry to the southeastern port city. The relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries from the central city of Sejong was one of Lee's campaign pledges. "I will swiftly execute the relocation of state organs, including the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, to Busan, as much as is possible," Lee said during a townhall meeting held at Pukyong University, adding he is not sure the ministry relocation will be possible before the end of the year. Lee said achieving balanced development across regions is a "national survival strategy" that cannot be avoided and requires consideration of each region's characteristics. "Climate change has increased the potential of Arctic shipping lanes and Busan is highly likely to benefit from that," he said. "If we do not prepare in advance, we will lose the opportunity." Lee called for discussing measures to develop Busan into a Northeast Asian hub city. (Yonhap)

Ministers of defense, unification, veterans affairs appointed
Ministers of defense, unification, veterans affairs appointed

Korea Herald

time9 hours ago

  • Korea Herald

Ministers of defense, unification, veterans affairs appointed

South Korea sees 1st civilian Defense Minister in 64 years; reinstated Unification Minister urges swift restoration of inter-Korean communication channel President Lee Jae Myung has appointed Ahn Gyu-back as the Defense Minister, Chung Dong-young as the Unification Minister and Kwon Oh-eul as the Veterans Affairs Minister, the presidential office announced Friday. Including the prime minister, this brings the number of confirmed Cabinet ministers in the Lee administration to 16 out of the total 20 as of Friday. Ahn, a five-term lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said he would restore people's trust toward South Korea's military after the martial law crisis in December, during which national armed forces were deployed to the National Assembly. He added he would "not be bound by conventions and inaction" as the civilian leader of the Ministry of the National Defense. The new defense minister is a career politician who served as a member of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee from 2008 to 2025. He said he would navigate challenges faced by the South Korean military, such as a dwindling young population, the advancement of North Korea's nuclear and missile threat, heightened volatility in the geopolitical situation, and the fast-paced development of cutting-edge arms technologies, among others. He also stressed the need to achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula on the foundation of military strength. Chung, also a five-term lawmaker of the Democratic Party, visited Panmunjom, a village in the demilitarized zone in northern Gyeonggi Province, later on Friday. There, he called for a swift restoration of the communication channel between the two Koreas, as he inspected an inter-Korean emergency hotline in Panmunjom. The communication line has been cut off since April 2023. This is Chung's second time taking on the role of unification minister, having previously taken on the role from July 2004 to December 2005 under the late former President Roh Moo-hyun. Kwon vowed to boost support for veterans with low income and the bereaved families of war veterans, as well as increase rewards for the sacrifices veterans have made for the country, in his inaugural speech on Friday. Kwon was previously a conservative lawmaker from 1996 to 2008. As for the four remaining ministerial posts, Lee's administration awaits the confirmation hearing of two: Culture Minister nominee Chae Hwi-young and Land Minister nominee Rep. Kim Yun-duk. The nominees for education minister and gender equality minister recently dropped out due to controversies that grew over the course of their confirmation hearings.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store