Comedian Hwang Hyun-hee said he would not sell his holdings of dwellings despite the government's tough real estate curbs.
Appearing on MBC "PD Notebook" on the 10th, Hwang Hyun-hee said, "I don't think an asset is something you buy and sell," adding, "I think it belongs in the realm of holding."
Hwang Hyun-hee, who previously said he owned one apartment each in Yongsan, Seongdong and Yeongdeungpo in Seoul, was cautious when asked about his current specific holdings.
He said, "It's a sensitive matter, so it's hard to say," but added, "I am also a rental business operator, and it's true that I put the money earned from investments into real estate."
Hwang Hyun-hee laid out his investment philosophy, saying, "I have continued to keep the real estate I personally held, and once I buy, I think I should hold for at least 10 years."
In particular, Hwang Hyun-hee cited past learning effects as the reason multi-home owners are not swayed by regulations. He recalled, "Haven't we played this game under the administration before the last one? We paid massive property holding taxes, sharply raised capital gains taxes, and there was even talk of pushing the fair market value ratio up to 80%–90%. What did we do then? We endured." He added, "Most multi-home owners will say, 'If you hold out, you'll be fine.'"
Hwang Hyun-hee also expressed skepticism about the ability to control the market. He said, "Many people believe real estate is failproof," noting, "There were times when transactions were tied up by short-term regulations, making it look like prices fell, but in the broader trend there have been few cases of completely controlling the market." He added, "Wanting to live in a good place is a human desire."
Hwang Hyun-hee debuted in 2004 as part of the 19th open recruitment class at KBS and was active on "Gag Concert" until 2014. He later focused on investing and even earned the label "a 10 billion won asset owner." Hwang Hyun-hee was appointed a visiting professor at Catholic Kwandong University last year and is active as an investment expert, appearing on various economic broadcast programs.