Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said on the 9th, “I will create a task force (TF) at the Prime Minister's Office to improve vacant rental housing.”
On the same day, Kim visited the Dong-gu goshiwon counseling center in Daejeon to inspect the housing situation of vulnerable groups during the summer. Accompanying him on the site visit were Lee Seu-ran, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare; Shim Jong-seop, Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination; and Chang Cheol-min, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.
Kim listened to the concerns shared by Pastor Won Yong-cheol, who oversees the Bethel House that operates the counseling center, and Jo Bu-hwal, the director of the counseling center.
Upon hearing that the vacancy rate of public rental dwellings prepared for vulnerable groups is high, Kim remarked, “It is very unreasonable to have something good created and then it is vacant and becomes long-term vacant,” and added, “I will create a TF to improve vacant rental housing.”
He further stated, “We need to check the vacancy rate of public rental dwellings nationwide,” and emphasized, “If vacancies are unavoidable, we need to discuss how to address them.”
Member Chang and Pastor Won requested Prime Minister Kim to address the lack of compensation plans for small-scale landowners, such as those with areas of 2.6㎡ (0.8 pyeong) and 6.6㎡ (2 pyeong), in relation to the redevelopment law of the goshiwon areas, making it difficult to promote housing welfare projects.
Pastor Won also suggested to Prime Minister Kim that the term ‘homeless’ in the current law is a narrow and stigmatizing concept and should be replaced with another term.
Prime Minister Kim stated, “I think it would be good if it were renamed to something future-oriented,” and directed Vice Minister Lee Seu-ran to “review this.”