On the 10th, Han Seong-suk, the nominee for Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups, stated, "I will quickly identify and address the parts that need to be corrected" amid controversy over the alleged submission of a false agricultural management plan.
On the same day, while arriving at the prepared office for her confirmation hearing in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Han met with reporters and said, "I understand that after writing a power of attorney, the agent prepared the plan." She added, "I learned about the relevant details through news reports."
Earlier, allegations of false preparation arose after it was revealed that Han had listed her occupation as 'self-employed' on the agricultural management plan when acquiring 1,151㎡ of farmland in Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, while serving as a director at Naver in 2010. She mentioned, "I am recognizing the parts that I need to correct through the many people's comments."
Regarding the controversy over illegal buildings in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, she stated, "The land was inherited," and added, "My mother also inherited it, and there were buildings that existed prior to this." She noted, "I also learned about the situation through relevant documents after the inheritance."
She continued, "The building in question is formally designated as a church, and currently, it cannot be used for farming," and added, "I understand that the previous owner, my father, has also filed a complaint with Yangju city regarding the illegal construction."
She also explained, "There are individuals with shared equity in the land, so I am in contact with them," and stated, "The lawyers for both sides are considering how to handle it through discussions."
She announced that she would deal with her Naver shares within a week of taking office. Han noted, "Stock options will be addressed in consultation with the company according to Naver's internal regulations," and added, "I plan to dispose of personal shares within a week of taking office, considering the impact on the market."
Earlier, Han stated that if appointed as Minister, she would sell all of her 60,000 stock options and 8,934 existing shares, totaling 68,934 shares.
The confirmation hearing for Han is scheduled to be held on the 15th by the Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs, and Startups Committee of the National Assembly.