Prime minister vows to push housing supply 'to the end'

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Thursday she would see through efforts to deliver more housing quickly in well-located urban areas.

Han made the remarks on her X account, describing the Aug. 13 housing supply package as "a commitment to the people." She said that while securing land for new homes in Seoul and the broader metropolitan area is difficult, usable sites — including school lots and aging government building grounds — exist throughout the city.

She said she had urged relevant agencies to actively identify such sites and accelerate planned projects. She also directed them to incorporate community spaces and amenities suited to the lifestyles of young people and newlyweds from the earliest design stages, in order to raise the overall quality of residential life.

Earlier Thursday, Han visited the site of the former Gonghang High School in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, to review the progress of a housing supply project there.

After receiving a briefing at the site, Han said, "When there are more communities that are good to live in, perceptions — of rental housing — seem to change," adding that creating a livable environment matters far more than simply whether a development is rental housing or not.

The site is slated to house 270 units of public housing for young people and newlyweds, along with a multipurpose sports facility for use by local residents.

Han told officials at the scene that some residents may worry that public rental housing moving in means their neighborhood will get worse, but said that once new community spaces, improved residential environments and better amenities become visible, those perceptions can shift for the better. She asked that the design process pay close attention to quality-of-life factors.

Han also expressed hope that combining housing with education facilities, sports venues and everyday social infrastructure in a single mixed-use development would broadly improve living conditions in the area.