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[Photo News] Tough housing rules to tame debt surge

[Photo News] Tough housing rules to tame debt surge

Korea Herald20 hours ago

Apartments in Jung-gu, central Seoul, are seen from Namsan Park on Sunday. The South Korean government on Friday unveiled its first housing regulation under the Lee Jae Myung administration, introducing a new mortgage cap of 600 million won ($440,000) for homes in the Seoul metropolitan area and other regulated zones. The measure aims to rein in household debt amid soaring apartment prices across the capital, extending well beyond the affluent Gangnam district in southern Seoul. (Yonhap)

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Seoul shares open higher on chemical gains
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Seoul shares open higher on chemical gains

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One month on, what are Lee Jae Myung's top policy priorities?
One month on, what are Lee Jae Myung's top policy priorities?

Korea Herald

time2 hours ago

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One month on, what are Lee Jae Myung's top policy priorities?

Less than a month into the Lee Jae Myung administration, several of his key policy priorities are starting to take shape. Below is a breakdown of top policy moves based on the announcements from the presidential State Affairs Planning Committee, tasked with coming up with a blueprint for how Lee will run the country for the next five years, and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. As a candidate, Lee had pledged to take away the public prosecution service's investigative functions entirely. Shortly after Lee took office, the Democratic Party announced sweeping bills that would abolish the prosecution service and set up new bodies instead. Under the bills, prosecutors would completely lose their authority to investigate, including any supplementary role in police investigations. Prosecutors would only decide whether or not to indict the accused, based on the results of an investigation they did not conduct. This raises concerns that gaps in police investigations, which would have been revisited by prosecutors under the existing system, could be left open. It would also no longer be the prosecution's job to ensure an investigation is properly executed. Until now, prosecutors have handled white-collar crimes involving powerful people, while the police have taken charge of "street crime." According to the rival People Power Party, the Democratic Party's push to significantly slash the prosecution's role in the criminal justice process is motivated by the criminal charges against the president as well as the allegations surrounding his close aides. The Lee administration has proposed a supplementary budget totaling some 13.2 trillion won for cash handouts to all South Koreans. Each person would get up to 520,000 won in the form of digital vouchers under the proposal. This is intended to encourage spending and stimulate the economy, according to the Democratic Party. On top of the direct cash aid, small businesses will be eligible for the cancelation of up to 50 million won per business in outstanding and defaulted loans. The Democratic Party says debts accumulated during national crises such as COVID-19 and the "insurrection" -- referring to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's controversial martial law decree that lasted six hours -- should be the government's responsibility. The People Power Party says these stimulus measures only promote moral hazard and raise inflation concerns. "What kind of message does it send to people who have worked hard to pay back their loans themselves?" said Rep. Park Soo-young, a People Power Party member on the parliamentary finance committee. A shift in emphasis away from nuclear power as an energy source and toward renewables was one of Lee's main policy pledges. In the supplementary budget proposal, some 120 billion won has been set aside for renewable energy such as solar and wind. Key renewable energy clusters in the country are located in the Jeolla provinces, which are traditional Democratic Party strongholds. One policy challenge is how to build a system that will transport power generated in these southern provinces to Seoul and rest of the country. This marks a reversal of the focus on nuclear power under the previous Yoon administration. One of the most frequent key phrases in announcements by the Lee administration has been artificial intelligence. Last week, Lee recruited two AI experts from the country's largest tech companies -- Ha Jung-woo from portal site Naver's AI innovation team as his chief aide for AI policies, and Bae Kyung-hoon of LG's AI research as minister of science and technology. Lee pledged to make South Korea the world's top AI power, vowing to invest some 100 trillion won into the sector.

[Editorial] New curbs, old fears
[Editorial] New curbs, old fears

Korea Herald

time5 hours ago

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[Editorial] New curbs, old fears

South Korea introduces strict loan limits as speculation surges in Seoul property market Just 23 days into President Lee Jae Myung's term, the South Korean government has unveiled its most forceful intervention in years to tame a resurgent property market. On Friday, authorities introduced sweeping restrictions on household borrowing, marking the administration's first major policy initiative and offering early clues to its governing style. At the core of the package is a strict cap on mortgage lending for property purchases in the capital region. Beginning this week, buyers will be limited to loans of no more than 600 million won ($440,000), regardless of income or property value. Additional measures include a six-month residency requirement for borrowers, a prohibition on multiple-home owners from securing new mortgages and tighter overall limits on household lending across the financial sector. These curbs are without precedent in scope and are aimed at dampening expectations of further price increases, a psychological shift the government believes is necessary to slow speculative momentum. The intervention comes amid clear signs of market overheating. Apartment prices in Seoul have risen for 21 consecutive weeks, with the most recent increase marking the steepest since 2018. Districts such as Seongdong, Mapo and Gangnam have led the surge, fueled by rising asking prices and a jump in buyer inquiries. The Bank of Korea's housing price outlook index rose to its highest level in nearly four years in June, reinforcing concerns about runaway sentiment. Several forces have converged to drive demand. Political uncertainty eased following the June 3 presidential election, and President Lee's campaign pledge to shift away from tax-heavy regulation toward a supply-focused approach was seen by investors as a positive signal. Meanwhile, the Bank of Korea has cut its policy rate by 75 basis points since late 2024 and is expected to ease further in the second half of this year. Together, these factors have revived fears of a repeat of the 2017-21 property boom. But the manner of the government's response has raised doubts. Shortly after Friday's announcement, the presidential office stated that the measures were not a presidential initiative, only to revise its stance later. The apparent disconnect between the Financial Services Commission and the presidential office sowed confusion at a critical moment. In a policy domain where timing and clarity are paramount, such missteps risk undermining credibility. The Moon Jae-in administration's failure to rein in prices was not due to inaction — it introduced 23 housing measures — but rather a lack of consistency, poor communication and weak coordination. Buyers learned to anticipate reversals, interpreting restrictions not as deterrents but as temporary hurdles. For the Lee government, restoring confidence will require more than regulation. Restricting credit is not a substitute for a comprehensive housing strategy. Thus far, no credible road map has been presented to expand supply through new construction, redevelopment or accelerated approvals. An across-the-board lending cap, regardless of income, may lock out middle-income buyers while leaving wealthier, cash-rich investors untouched. The unintended consequence could be a more regressive housing market. Experts also warn that sharp restrictions, introduced while rates are falling and housing supply remains tight, are unlikely to reverse the upward trend. At best, they may slow the pace of price growth; at worst, they could exacerbate inequality and weaken household consumption. Housing is not merely an economic issue — it is a test of political competence. Effective policy requires coherence, foresight and execution. The Lee administration's ability to manage these dynamics will shape not only real estate outcomes but also broader perceptions of its governing capacity. Announcing strong measures is a first step. Delivering them with credibility and balance will be the true measure of success. koreadherald@

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