President Lee Jae-myung said on X (formerly Twitter) on the 8th that he would review whether to improve 22 institutional disadvantages that young people may face due to marriage, citing as one task allowing applications for housing subscriptions by households that own two small homes after marriage.
That immediately drew complaints among single-person households. Voices included, "Home subscription is already designed to favor couples with children," "It's unreasonable to let even couples with two homes apply," and "It effectively imposes a single tax on single-person households."
◇ Couples who each own one small home before marriage vs. single-person households with not even one home
Under the current housing supply system, only people without dwellings can apply for special supply for newlyweds and first-time in life, and for first-priority general supply. As an exception, one small apartment of 60㎡ or less in exclusive area is regarded as having no dwellings. For non-apartment types such as villas, one unit of up to 85㎡ in exclusive area is regarded as having no dwellings.
Under this standard, couples who each own one small dwelling while single cannot apply for a subscription once they marry. President Lee Jae-myung has proposed reviewing a direction that would allow subscriptions even in such cases. It can be seen as an attempt to reduce cases of disadvantage due to marriage.
Online, however, concerns are growing that it will become even harder for single-person households to secure housing subscriptions. One commenter on the president's X post said, "Are you giving couples who own two small homes a chance to trade up to a new home?" and added, "What does that have to do with a marriage penalty?" Another person said, "Are you saying a couple that already has two homes will get an additional one?" and noted, "Doesn't that clash with this administration's policy direction of tightening rules on non-occupancy and multiple-home owners?"
According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS), as of 2024, Korea had 8,045,000 single-person households, or 36% of all households. That is up steadily from 27% in 2015. The homeownership rate among single-person households is 30.1%, far below the national average of 60.7%. The share on monthly rent with deposit was high at 42.2%, and jeonse was 15.4%. Compared with all households, the shares of monthly rent with deposit (22.5%) and jeonse (14.2%) were both higher.
◇ A structure where more dependents boost subscription odds... "Single-person households effectively excluded"
Under the Housing Act and related rules, the odds of winning a general supply allocation for private dwellings rise with the number of dependents such as a spouse, parents, and children. The point system comprises three elements: ▲number of dependents (maximum 35 points) ▲period without dwellings (32 points) ▲subscription savings account tenure (17 points). Of these, the score assigned to the number of dependents is the highest. Six or more dependents earns a perfect score; five dependents, 30 points; four, 25 points. Zero dependents earns just five points.
Data that the Korea Real Estate Board (REB) submitted to People Power Party lawmaker Yun Jae-ok showed that, as of the end of July 2024, the average score among 655 winners under the point system for general supply of private dwellings in Seoul was 65.72. Of these, 34% (220 people) scored 70 or higher. A score of 70 or higher requires at least four dependents. In the Gangnam area, the share of winners scoring 70 or higher reached 83%.
A single-person household can score at most 54 points even after remaining without dwellings for 15 years or more and maintaining a subscription savings account. That falls well short of the average winning score in Seoul.
A review by the National Assembly Research Service of scores for winners under the point system for private dwellings from 2020 to 2024 found that, among top scorers, the periods without dwellings and of subscription savings enrollment mostly received near-perfect scores. By contrast, the number of dependents scored 22–24 points, below the maximum of 35. Because the periods without dwellings and of subscription savings typically earn perfect scores and do not affect the outcome, the number of dependents becomes the decisive factor.
Because of this system, there have been cases where large six-person families won subscriptions for small-size units in the Gangnam area that could yield market gains worth up to several billions of won. In April, among winners for 44㎡ (about 13 pyeong) exclusive-area units at HAUTERRE Banpo, a reconstruction complex in Jamwon-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, there was a person who scored 79 points. Seventy-nine is the maximum available to a six-person household. Thirteen pyeong is classified as a size that is not easy for even a family of four or five to occupy as a primary residence. Yet a six-person family applied and won.