Kang Shin-cheol faces scrutiny over property disclosure and apartment subscription allegations

Kang Shin-cheol, the nominee for Minister of National Defense, is facing intense scrutiny from both ruling and opposition parties regarding allegations of property concealment and illegal apartment subscriptions.

Members of the People Power Party have raised concerns over the omission of a 700 million won commercial property in Bundang owned by Kang’s eldest son from initial asset disclosures. While Kang’s side claims the omission was a simple mistake and that the son secured funds through loans from maternal relatives, lawmakers are questioning the son's ability to repay such a large sum shortly after completing military service.

Additionally, Cheon Ha-ram, acting leader of the Reform Party, has accused Kang and his family of an organized scheme to obtain “eviction victim” status to secure special apartment subscriptions. Cheon alleges that in 2008, Kang falsely registered his residence in a vacant house in Seoul while serving in Gangwon Province to qualify for a special sale of an apartment in Seocho, which has since seen significant value appreciation. Kang has defended his actions, stating the residence mismatch was due to official military duty requirements.