People Power Party Seoul mayoral candidate Oh Se-hoon visited Guro District in Seoul on the 11th to meet newlyweds and young people struggling to buy a home. He then met with stakeholders in dwelling development projects, including the National Redevelopment Association Solidarity and the Seoul Moa Town Alliance, to discuss policy improvements for the swift supply of dwellings.
That afternoon, Oh visited Gaebong-dong in Guro District, Seoul, held a "Citizens' Countermeasure Meeting on Real Estate Hell" press conference, and heard public sentiment on the real estate front. The Citizens' Countermeasure Meeting on Real Estate Hell is a press conference format in which Oh visits sites undergoing redevelopment and reconstruction to listen to citizens' views on a jeonse shortage and steep rises in monthly rent; this was the third such event.
Citizens gathered at the event called for the swift promotion of redevelopment and reconstruction and the supply of real estate such as quality housing. A newlywed couple living in Oryu-dong, Guro District, identified as a person surnamed Lee, said, "The longer maintenance projects are delayed, the more the housing ladder collapses, and I fear we will not be able to have a good home," adding, "Young newlyweds also want to live not just in a place to sleep but in efficient apartments with security, education, and parking."
One citizen spoke of difficulties caused by a surge in monthly rent prices. A real estate agent in their 20s, identified as a person surnamed Shim, said, "Every time I see the wages I earned with sweat being drained away by housing costs, my chest tightens," adding, "They say monthly rent support has expanded, but market prices have risen sharply, and young people who commute had to move because they could not even maintain a cramped one-room."
They added, "It's not about simply increasing the numbers; quality dwellings where people can stay long term need to be supplied in major job areas." There were also calls to swiftly push redevelopment and reconstruction.
The head of the committee promoting redevelopment in the Gaebong 7 District area said, "The place may look spruced up in terms of beautification, but even ambulances and fire engines have trouble getting in," adding, "Gwangmyeong New Town and the Ok-gil and Sincheon districts have apartment towns, but there is no apartment complex in the underdeveloped Gaebong 1-dong.
In response, Oh said, "All Seoul citizens are appealing about their pain related to homes, yet the government is insincere in preparing solutions," adding, "Those without homes and those in jeonse and monthly rentals will be suffering the most."
He added, "We will listen to citizens' region-by-region views on real estate hell and build a consensus on what solutions to craft."
After hearing on-site opinions, Oh immediately moved to meet with officials from dwelling maintenance project groups, including the National Reconstruction Association Solidarity and the Seoul Redevelopment Association Federation, to discuss policy improvements.
Park Kyung-ryong, head of the National Reconstruction Association Solidarity who attended the meeting, said, "These days, there are loan regulations, so if you cannot obtain relocation expense loans in maintenance projects, the maintenance project stops," adding, "Even if other laws are improved for maintenance projects, if relocation is not possible, the project cannot proceed, so please make sure this is reflected in policy."
On this, Oh said, "Starting with the reconstruction windfall recapture issue, the biggest concern is ultimately how to proceed in a direction that eases the financial burden," adding, "We will consider how to maximize economic feasibility to push the work forward smoothly."