It was confirmed on the 3rd that some Blue House aides have moved to dispose of dwellings they own. As the government strengthens its resolve to root out real estate speculation, the move is seen as a response to controversy over owning multiple dwellings.
Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung has put an apartment in Giheung-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi, on the market. It is said the dwelling was listed in November last year, before controversy erupted over some Blue House aides owning multiple dwellings. Kang holds ACRO River Park in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, under a spouse's name, and an apartment in Yongin under Kang's own name, and is said to have listed the Yongin home where Kang's parents had lived.
Chunchugwan Director Kim Sang-ho is also in the process of disposing of six multi-family dwellings located in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Kim jointly owns, with a spouse, an apartment in Guui-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, and a multi-family dwelling in Daechi-dong. Kim is also said to have put the dwellings on the market long ago.
According to recently disclosed asset filings for public officials, 12 out of 56 aides at the Blue House at the secretary level or higher own two or more dwellings. President Lee Jae-myung has been sending daily messages to root out speculation, saying on social media (SNS) recently, "No matter what it takes, I will definitely crack down on nation-ruining real estate speculation." However, it is said the president did not directly order aides to dispose of their dwellings.
At a Cabinet meeting that day, the president addressed public opinion calling for "public officials who own multiple dwellings to sell first," saying, "If they sell because I tell them to, it means the policy is ineffective," and added, "We must create circumstances where they will sell even if we beg them not to. We must make them reasonably judge that resolving multiple dwelling ownership is in their economic interest."