Exclusive Governor Choo Claims Predecessor Bought Her Official Car, Raising 'Perjury Concerns'

Governor Choo Mi-ae of Gyeonggi Province is facing ongoing controversy after explaining that former Governor Kim Dong-yeon made the decision to purchase a new official vehicle, citing her predecessor's authority in the matter.

According to Gyeonggi Province and the National Procurement Service on the 14th, the province signed a purchase contract with Hyundai Motor for an Ioniq 9 worth 77,651,190 won on June 29. The vehicle was delivered on July 8, after Governor Choo took office, and began service.

The contract signing occurred one day before Governor Kim's retirement. Kim had already lost the Democratic Party's primary for Gyeonggi Province governor on April 7 to Choo, making his retirement imminent.

The vehicle purchase plan was also established after Governor Choo's election victory in the June 3 local elections. The purchase contract for the new official vehicle was executed during the outgoing governor's tenure while his successor was already confirmed.

Earlier, during the National Audit by the House Administrative and Safety Committee on the 13th, when questioned about the official vehicle replacement, Governor Choo responded: "It occurred before I took office, so I didn't approve it and was unaware at the time," adding, "After checking, I found that the predecessor governor made the purchase decision."

She also explained that "the service life of the existing vehicle had been exceeded, so it was replaced," noting that the eco-friendly vehicle purchase could reduce maintenance costs.

However, the camp of former Governor Kim immediately objected.

A representative of former Governor Kim's side stated: "Would someone who had already lost the primary and whose retirement was already decided purchase a new car that he wouldn't even drive?" The representative added: "It is difficult to accept the view that former Governor Kim directly decided to purchase the vehicle simply because the approval occurred during his tenure."

As the controversy spread, the province released a written briefing on the 14th under the name of a provincial spokesperson, disclosing the vehicle purchase process.

The province announced that on June 11, it finalized a plan to dispose of four vehicles and purchase the same number of new ones, completed related administrative procedures between June 11-17, and executed the contract on the 29th.

The province specifically stated that the four vehicles designated for disposal had been registered for more than 10 years, had exceeded an eight-year useful life, and had exceeded 120,000 kilometers in mileage. It also explained that the budget for new vehicle purchases was included in the 2026 general budget.

However, according to materials submitted by the province to the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly, the official vehicle used by former Governor Kim was a Carnival Limousine purchased on August 25, 2022 for 62.09 million won. After the implementation of the odd-even vehicle ban system, an Ioniq 9 was rented separately from the existing Carnival and used alternately; the rental vehicle was returned after his retirement.

According to Gyeonggi Province's public vehicle management regulations, the governor's dedicated vehicle can only be replaced after the minimum service life set by the Public Procurement Service has been exceeded and total mileage also exceeds 120,000 kilometers. With a useful life of eight years for passenger vehicles, the existing Carnival purchased in August 2022 had a usage period of only three years and nine months at the time of the new vehicle purchase.

The province did not dispose of the existing Carnival but converted it into a work vehicle for another department. Since the existing vehicle still had remaining service life, it was repurposed rather than disposed of.

This is distinct from the disposal of the four aging vehicles mentioned by the province on the 14th. If the vehicles slated for disposal had been registered for more than 10 years or met the requirements for useful life and mileage as the province explained, the existing governor's Carnival would be difficult to classify as included in those targets.

Accordingly, Governor Choo's response that "the vehicle was replaced because its service life had been exceeded" is drawing controversy. The existing governor's vehicle still had remaining service life and was not disposed of, according to reports.

Congressman Kang Myung-gu (People Power Party, Gumi-eul, North Gyeongsang Province) questioned Governor Choo's National Audit response by making related materials public.

Congressman Kang stated: "Governor Choo must immediately disclose to the public verifiable materials such as the exact vehicle contract date and purchase date," and "If the response given at the National Audit is revealed to be false, I will hold her accountable for perjury."