Controversy intensifies after ex-president’s son sells residence

Kim Hong-gul, a former lawmaker and the youngest son of late former President Kim Dae-jung, on Thursday defended his decision to sell his father's former residence, originally intended to be revamped into a memorial hall to uphold the former president's dedication to democracy. The sale sparked controversy last month after news reports revealed Kim had sold the property for 10 billion won (US$7.26 million) to a businessman who owns a coffee shop franchise, without any consultations with others. In an interview with local radio station CBS on Thursday, Kim explained his late mother Lee Hee-ho had left a will in 2019 that she had agreed with Park Won-soon, then mayor of Seoul, on the idea of converting the residence in Donggyo-dong, western Seoul, into a memorial hall. Kim said Park, however, claimed to have no knowledge of such discussions when he asked about the memorial hall. The will was rendered void as it was not legally validated, according to Kim. Kim eventually inherited the residence as he is the only biological child of the late former first lady. Kim's brothers -- Kim Hong-il and Kim Hong-up -- are from Kim Dae-jung's previous marriage. Kim also said the National Tax Service had placed a mortgage on the house when he announced his plans to pay the inheritance tax worth 1.7 billion won in five years. He claimed to have reached out to the Seoul city government to have the residence designated as a cultural heritage site but failed to do so, and finally had no choice but to sell the residence. "If I can't pay the inheritance tax, the residence will be auctioned off, and even if I manage to pay the inheritance tax and keep its ownership, there's no point if the residence has no visitors and has to close doors," Kim said. Critics say his decision to sell the residence that holds historic value may have been hasty given Kim's wealth in other real estate. Kim Dae-jung, who served from 1998 to 2003 and died in 2009, is known for his contributions to democracy and efforts to improve ties with North Kore a. In 2000, he held the first-ever inter-Korean summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to reconcile with Pyongyang. Source : Yonhap News Agency