[Exclusive] Yoon gov’t sued

[Anchor]

During the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, while relocating the presidential office and residence to Yongsan, various misconducts and losses to the national treasury have already been revealed through audits.

However, it has been confirmed that one of the companies involved in the construction at that time conducted additional work without a contract and has filed a lawsuit claiming they did not receive payment.

Reporter Park Kyung-jun has the exclusive coverage.

[Report]

The Yoon Suk Yeol administration announced the plan to relocate the presidential office to Yongsan upon his election.

[Yoon Suk Yeol/then President-elect/March 2022: "It has been 20 years, and some remodeling is needed. Therefore, we plan to request a budget of 49.6 billion won."]

Two months before his inauguration, some construction was awarded through optional contracts for reasons of security and schedule.

Interior company A participated in five projects ordered by the National Security Office.

However, KBS's investigation confirmed that A has filed a lawsuit against the state, claiming they did not receive about 500 million won of the construction costs.

In addition to the contracted work, the person in charge from the National Security Office requested 21 additional projects, for which they did not receive payment.

This includes some locations where former President Yoon answered questions during his commute, as well as meeting rooms on the first, second, and third basement floors, and the National Security Office.

The remodeling of the apartment used as the official residence by former National Security Office chief Kim Yong-hyun and other senior officials, including Kim Jong-cheol and Kim Seong-hoon, was included in the details.

This work was carried out without a contract.

A claims that the person in charge from the National Security Office informed them that "due to insufficient budget, payment would be made the following year."

Subsequently, this person left the National Security Office after being investigated for supply corruption, and A ultimately did not receive their payment.

The Board of Audit and Inspection uncovered illegal activities such as supply corruption and payment of construction costs during the relocation of the presidential office last September.

[Son Dong-shin/Director of the Administrative Safety Audit Division, Board of Audit and Inspection/Sept. 2024: "Throughout the entire process of construction contracts, supervision, and completion, relevant national contract laws were not followed...."]

The National Security Office has still not paid the construction costs.

As KBS's investigation began, the National Security Office expressed "regret" and stated that "follow-up actions will be taken according to the court's decision."

The prosecution, which is responding to the lawsuit, has expressed the opinion that since A did not comply with the requirements and procedures of the national contract law, the contract claimed by A appears to be invalid.

This is KBS News, Park Kyung-jun.