The ruling and opposition parties clashed on the 8th over statistics used at the time of the Oct. 15 real estate measures. The People Power Party said, "The Lee Jae-myung administration hid and ignored the unfavorable September real estate statistics themselves," and urged the resignation of Minister Kim Yun-duk of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The Democratic Party of Korea argued, "The People Power Party should stop the sophistry of statistical manipulation."
The People Power Party that day raised suspicions of "statistical manipulation," saying the government used past statistics instead of the latest figures to expand regulated areas in the Oct. 15 real estate measures. Park Sung-hoon, the People Power Party's senior spokesperson, said in a commentary that day, "The presidential office and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport received the September statistics from the National Housing Price Trend Survey but designated regulated areas based only on the dwelling price increase rates for June to August," adding, "If the statistics for July to September had been applied, it would have been impossible to regulate all areas of Seoul, so they used statistics that suited their tastes."
They also said, "Following the Moon Jae-in administration, 'statistical manipulation politics' is being repeated," and added, "If only favorable statistics were cherry-picked, that is not policy but property control and clear statistical manipulation."
They went on to say, "President Lee Jae-myung should immediately launch a fact-finding investigation and disclose the decision-making process for excluding the statistics and who is responsible," adding, "The truth of the statistical manipulation and the gagging of statistics must be uncovered."
Choi Eun-seok, the People Power Party's senior floor spokesperson, also said in a commentary that day, "The nightmare of statistical manipulation during the Moon Jae-in administration is not even over yet, and the Lee Jae-myung administration is walking the same path of statistical distortion," adding, "Back then, they rewrote the numbers in a way favorable to themselves; this time, they outright hid and ignored the unfavorable statistics themselves."
By contrast, Kim Hyun-jung, the Democratic Party's floor spokesperson, said in a commentary that day, "The People Power Party should stop the sophistry that 'the government deliberately excluded the September statistics.'" Kim said, "The Oct. 15 measures were carried out based on the Enforcement Decree of the Housing Act, which requires the use of the closest monthly data, and were taken under a clear policy judgment that even the confirmed statistics for the three months from June to August showed an obvious sign of market overheating."
They also said, "If, despite already-confirmed warning signals, the government had missed the policy golden time by merely waiting for the release of the September statistics while market anxiety spread, that would be a clear dereliction of duty," adding, "It is not the time for the People Power Party to hold rain rituals under a rusty 'Moon Jae-in administration season 2' frame and immerse itself in political strife games."
They continued, "It is not the time for the People Power Party to hold rain rituals under a rusty 'Moon Jae-in administration season 2' frame and immerse itself in political strife games," adding, "The irresponsible offensive that brands the government's lawful administration as manipulation and even abets illegality will face the stern judgment of the public."