Kim Ei-tak, the new first vice minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport who has taken the baton to lead Lee Jae-myung's administration's real estate policy, emphasized that the government would mobilize all its capabilities for follow-up measures to the supply plan.
Vice Minister Kim stated accordingly at his inauguration ceremony held at the Government Complex Sejong on the morning of the 2nd. He urged employees, saying, "We need to look back on whether the solutions we presented were considered from the public's perspective and whether they earned the public's trust," and added, "We must approach our duties more humbly and with a lower profile, from the public's standpoint."
Vice Minister Kim was born in 1969 in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, and graduated from Seoul National University's Department of Economics. After entering public service through the 36th civil service exam, at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) he held key posts including head of the Housing Policy Division, head of the Housing Renewal Division, head of the Housing Construction Supply Division, director general for aviation policy, head of the Urban Regeneration Project Planning Team, Director General for Policy Planning, and standing member of the Central Land Expropriation Committee. In addition, the new vice minister gained international housing policy experience through a dispatch to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He was appointed as successor on the 28th of last month, about a month after former first vice minister under the current administration Lee Sang-kyung resigned over controversy related to real estate policy remarks and gap investment (purchasing a home with a jeonse tenant in place).
Vice Minister Kim first mentioned "stable management of the housing market" among the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT)'s various tasks. He emphasized, "To instill confidence that sufficient quality dwellings will be supplied in locations the public wants, we must mobilize all government capabilities to swiftly implement follow-up measures to the 9·7 supply plan."
He added, "We must work to supply dwellings affordable to anyone and to build a housing safety net so that young people, newlyweds, and those in vulnerable housing situations can live with peace of mind," and continued, "We must also revive the domestically stagnant construction industry and complete the reform of the Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) without setbacks."
In addition, Vice Minister Kim expressed his resolve to respond strictly to crimes related to real estate transactions, such as acts that disrupt real estate transaction order and jeonse fraud targeting those new to the workforce, and to work on preemptive measures.
Vice Minister Kim also defined balanced national growth as a "centennial national agenda," saying, "We must create job and innovation growth hubs such as advanced national industrial complexes and urban convergence special zones so that corporations and talent can gather in the provinces, and expand metropolitan transportation networks so that commuting is convenient from anywhere." He added, "We must complete the administrative capital, Sejong, develop innovation cities, and push forward swiftly with the second transfer of public institutions to establish clear national balanced hubs."
Regarding the response to a string of fatal accidents at construction sites, Vice Minister Kim said, "Prevention is the key to safety, and the answer is on-site," and urged, "Let's thoroughly examine the sites so that on-site workers in construction, transportation, and other fields can work with peace of mind, and proactively improve what is needed."