Minister Kim Yun-duk of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport emphasized that the ministry will work to announce additional supply measures centered on idle sites and aging government buildings in Seoul by the end of January.
The Minister said this in response to reporters' questions after a New Year's press briefing held at the Government Complex Sejong on the afternoon of the 12th, noting, "Plans such as target sites and scale are in place, but there is a final-stage process of consultations with relevant ministries and local governments," and stated accordingly.
Earlier, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) announced the "Sept. 7 housing supply expansion plan," which includes a plan to start construction on 1.35 million households in the greater Seoul area by 2030. Accordingly, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) is proceeding with consultations with local governments, including the Seoul Metropolitan Government, to finalize new residential land. The idle sites in central Seoul currently under discussion include the Taereung Country Club, a military golf course in Nowon District, the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seocho District, and the Seoul Regional Public Procurement Service.
Asked where the focus lies in the housing supply project, the Minister answered, "We face a supply cliff, so we need to increase volume. Rather than developing residential sites on the outskirts, we need to develop idle sites or aging government buildings in key locations in Seoul and the greater Seoul area," adding, "Another point is that there are many vacancies in public rental housing, and I think we now need to supply high-quality dwellings that meet the public's changing needs." The Minister added, "We are trying to boldly introduce various types of dwellings, such as urban block-type dwellings, and fast-build formats like modular dwellings."
Regarding the "jiralshi" rumors that have recently spread on social media (SNS), the Minister drew a line, saying, "Nothing has been discussed." The Minister said, "We have not discussed the land transaction permit system at all; please understand that we are only watching the situation," and added, "There are no concrete discussions on taxation, but it is being talked about at a general, conceptual level." The Minister also said there has been "no review" of the reconstruction excess profit recovery system, floor area ratio easing, and other measures.
At the briefing, the Minister said, "This year we will focus on delivering changes that people can feel in their daily lives, and we will use that as the standard for policy execution," listing five pillars of land and transport policy: ▲ balanced growth ▲ housing stability ▲ transportation innovation ▲ future growth ▲ public safety.
The Minister first said, "This year we will finalize the targets and locations for the second round of public institution transfers and have the relocations begin as early as 2027," adding, "By relocating public institutions, we will first create population and demand, and then link advanced industrial complexes with the Saemangeum RE100 complex to build a structure in which jobs and industries take root in the regions."
The Minister went on to emphasize that housing supply will be judged by groundbreaking and move-ins. The Minister said, "In the first half of this year, we will present a life-cycle tailored housing welfare direction," adding, "We will also steadily proceed with the supply of 1.1 million units of quality public dwellings during the term without a hitch."
The Minister also said, "We will expand and reorganize the K-Pass into an unlimited flat-rate 'card for everyone' to lower the recurring monthly burden of public transportation," adding, "This year we will enact the Basic Transportation Act and reduce mobility inconveniences for transportation-vulnerable people by introducing metropolitan low-floor buses and expanding the integrated reservation system for special transportation."
In addition, the Minister expressed a commitment to expand Autonomous Driving demonstrations and proceed to commercialization of "Level 4" autonomy—no human intervention—in 2027, while also nurturing the UAM and drone industries by advancing both demonstrations and systems in tandem. The Minister also said a special construction safety act will be enacted, and aviation safety will be strengthened by improving facilities and increasing air traffic control personnel in parallel.