Prime minister calls for faster private-sector housing supply in greater Seoul

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Tuesday that accelerating private-sector housing projects — which account for 80 percent of the greater Seoul area's planned supply — is essential to meeting this year's housing targets. She also called for strict adherence to a "transportation first, move-in second" principle for third-generation new towns, where residents are set to begin moving in from December.

Han made the remarks in her opening address at the fourth cross-ministry rapid housing supply review meeting, held Tuesday at Government Complex Seoul. "As housing ground-breakings are concentrated toward year-end, each ministry should carefully monitor the progress of projects under its jurisdiction to ensure this year's supply targets are met without disruption," she said.

"Only two months remain this year," she added. "Please take responsibility until the very end to ensure that planned volumes actually translate into ground-breakings."

Han placed particular emphasis on expanding private-sector housing supply. "To achieve our planned targets, nothing is more important than accelerating private-sector projects, which make up 80 percent of the greater Seoul area's supply," she said.

She then directed the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to "prepare effective measures to remove project delays and spare no effort to further raise the pace."

Han also reviewed move-in preparations for the third-generation new towns. "Move-ins at the third-generation new towns are scheduled to begin in earnest starting with Incheon Gyeyang in December," she said, instructing officials to "organize and report transportation measures in detail."

She went on to say that rail and metropolitan transport networks should be built ahead of schedule so that the "transportation first, move-in second" principle is put into genuine practice.

Han also cited President Lee Jae-myung's earlier call to "wage a blitzkrieg" on housing supply, urging related ministries to swiftly draw up follow-up action plans and carry them out without delay to accelerate the pace of delivery.

She noted that some improvement has recently appeared in Seoul's housing supply indicators.

"Recent data show that the number of housing permits and ground-breakings in Seoul has risen more than 40 percent compared with the same period last year, signaling some improvement," Han said.

She stressed, however, that gains in supply figures must translate into changes that people can actually feel.

"The public will be more interested in and expectant of tangible changes — how projects in the areas where they live or have an interest are progressing, and when they will be able to move in," she said.

She went on to urge officials to "rigorously manage supply performance against plans, swiftly resolve problems on the ground, and transparently disclose the process and results to the public."