Lee says housing delays equal inaction

Feb 27, 2026, 07:29 am

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President Lee Jae-myung speaks during a senior secretaries’ meeting at the presidential office on Feb. 26. / Yonhap

President Lee Jae-myung on Wednesday called for accelerating the development of third-phase new towns and other public housing sites in the Seoul metropolitan area, stressing that excessive delays would undermine the policy’s effectiveness.

“Dragging it out is the same as not doing it,” Lee said during a meeting with senior presidential aides at Cheong Wa Dae, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung.

Lee received a report on the progress of government housing supply measures and instructed officials to speed up implementation, particularly in large-scale public land development projects aimed at stabilizing the real estate market.

The so-called “third new towns” are a key component of the government’s strategy to expand housing supply in the greater Seoul area and ease price pressures.

Call to address ‘marriage penalty’

During the meeting, Lee was also briefed on concerns that married applicants may face disadvantages compared to single applicants when income criteria are applied to loans and housing subscription programs — a phenomenon often referred to as a “marriage penalty.”

“We must identify and correct such issues,” Lee said, ordering officials to compile and report various cases in which married couples are disadvantaged under current rules.

The president’s remarks signal a push to refine housing policies not only by increasing supply but also by addressing structural inequities in eligibility standards.

#Lee Jae-myung #third new towns #metropolitan housing supply #public housing sites