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Lee Jae Myung suspends controversial Philippine civil engineering project

Published: 09 Sep. 2025, 19:45 Updated: 10 Sep. 2025, 15:25

YOON SO-YEON
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President Lee Jae Myung speaks during an official event in Incheon on Sept. 5. [YONHAP]

President Lee Jae Myung ordered the suspension of a civil engineering project in the Philippines that had allegedly been revived under pressure from Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the People Power Party after the government had initially refused to loan out money over concerns of insolvency, Lee said Tuesday.

"I ordered the immediate suspension of all procedures related to the project,” Lee wrote on his Facebook account on Tuesday, adding a link to a Monday media report by weekly magazine Hankyoreh 21.

The report claimed that in February 2024, the Ministry of Economy and Finance had rejected a 7 trillion won ($5 billion) project in the Philippines, citing concerns about corruption and insolvency. However, the project was later resumed under pressure from Kweon directed at then-Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, according to the report.

"The fortunate thing is that the project had not yet begun, meaning no funds from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund have been spent," Lee wrote in his post, stressing that “blocking the unnecessary waste of as much as 7 trillion won in taxpayer money and preventing risks that could lead to insolvency and corruption in advance is greatly meaningful.”

People Power Party (PPP) floor leader Kwon Seong-dong at a party strategy meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on April 15. [JOONGANG ILBO]

He added that the press is "a watchdog of power and a safeguard against corruption and plays a vital role in building a fair society."

"I express my deep gratitude for the courage and effort of the media, which has ensured the public’s right to know by bringing the truth to light through investigative reporting," said Lee.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY YOON SO-YEON [[email protected]]