DJ Sajo sold to an individual…and also promises to reveal all assets, after the Democratic Party, which had been silent,

On the day of the late Mrs. Lee Hee-ho’s funeral in 2019, a plaque was lined up at the entrance of the residence in Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul.
Lee Jae-myung said, “I will find a way to responsibly continue the legacy of DJ as the main figure.” Kim Min-seok added, “I had an emergency meeting with Kwon Noh-gab, Moon Hee-sang, Park Ji-won, and Choo Mi-ae to find a solution.”
The Democratic Party, which had been silent so far regarding the sale of the late President Kim Dae-jung’s residence in Donggyo-dong for over 10 billion won to a private entrepreneur, announced its party-wide resolution policy. As criticisms from the opposition grew regarding the party’s irresponsibility on the issue of the sale of the residence, they have begun to search for a solution. Donggyo-dong residence was where President DJ spent a significant part of his political life. The term ‘Donggyo-dong regime’ even originated from there, and during the military dictatorship era, he received a monthly pension 55 times at the residence.
Kim Min-seok, a Democratic Party member who ran for the party’s highest council election as a running mate of Lee Jae-myung for the party leader election, conveyed Lee’s statement on his Facebook page, saying, “Regardless of the reason for the sale, I will find a way to responsibly continue DJ’s legacy as the Democratic Party and myself.” Kim, who entered politics after being scouted by DJ, mentioned, “The day after the sale was revealed, there was an emergency meeting with board members of Kim Dae-jung Foundation, former National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang, and Parliament members Park Ji-won, Jung Dong-young, and Choo Mi-ae. We gathered to find a solution as Donggyo-dong residence is a historical landmark beyond an individual’s personal history, where those who invited the president came together to resolve the issue with a heavy sense of responsibility.”
He emphasized, “Park Ji-won expressed her willingness to contribute her former assets to repurchase the residence. Everyone involved, including those who invited President Kim Dae-jung, the Democratic Party, and Chairman Lee Jae-myung, will tackle this issue with a heavy sense of responsibility.”
Park Ji-won, a Democratic Party member who served as DJ’s secretary, stated her intention to contribute around 600 million won of her personal assets to repurchase the Donggyo-dong residence. She mentioned on her Facebook, “I apologize sincerely, regardless of the reason behind the issue of Donggyo-dong residence. I will try to persuade the purchaser and re-market the residence rather than blindly expanding the controversy to the public and the Democratic Party.”
President Kim’s Donggyo-dong residence became a subject of dispute between his sons after the passing of his wife Lee Hee-ho, who was also the former head of the Kim Dae-jung Peace Center. When the deceased’s only biological son, former lawmaker Kim Hong-geol, claimed ownership of the residence, younger son Kim Hong-eop filed a request for an injunction to prohibit the sale of the residence in January 2020. In June of the same year, the two parties reached an agreement that ended the dispute over the ownership of the residence in favor of the former lawmaker. However, controversies arose again when the former lawmaker sold the residence in Donggyo-dong on February 2nd citing inheritance tax arrears exceeding 2 billion won.