Han Seong-sook: Directly Addressing Housing Supply Bottlenecks

Han Seong-sook, the Prime Minister of South Korea, stated on September 3 that she will not only receive reports on housing supply policies but will also regularly monitor the progress. She emphasized her commitment to directly oversee any bottlenecks until tangible results in housing supply are achieved.

During the second inter-agency meeting on rapid housing supply held at the Government Seoul Complex, she remarked, "I will closely examine the factors causing delays in permits, project execution, and financial support at each stage."

This meeting was convened to assess whether the housing supply and financial measures discussed in the first meeting are being implemented as planned. Representatives from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Financial Services Commission, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) attended.

Han pointed out that managing tasks separately by each ministry has limited the ability to grasp the overall housing supply situation and respond promptly to inter-ministerial delays. She announced plans to strengthen a management system where relevant agencies gather to identify and discuss the causes of project delays and solutions.

She also stressed the need to improve the communication of policies on the ground. Referring to her recent visit to the private redevelopment site in the Jangwi 14 district of Seoul, she noted, "Despite the announcement of key measures like easing relocation loan regulations, there were areas where the association leaders and residents did not fully understand the details."

Han added, "No matter how good the measures are, they must be explained in clear terms on-site, and we must actively ensure that related policies reach the ground level." She urged for better communication on how businesses and citizens in need of financial support can benefit from these measures.

She concluded by stating, "Housing supply and financial measures are interconnected," and called for cooperation among relevant ministries, local governments, public institutions, and financial institutions as a unified team. She noted that while some areas have begun construction more quickly than expected, statistics reveal that others are lagging. Additional support will be provided to regions where projects are progressing smoothly, while joint solutions will be sought for those facing difficulties.