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A view of villa complexes in Seoul. /Yonhap News Agency

An additional 480 tenants have been officially recognized as victims of jeonse rental fraud, bringing the cumulative number of tenants designated by the government to 42,039. The Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) has also been purchasing homes affected by jeonse fraud at an average rate of 655 units per month this year.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) announced on Nov. 12 that the Jeonse Fraud Victim Support Committee had reviewed 1,331 cases at its plenary meetings held on Oct. 14 and 21 and Nov. 6, and had given final approval to 480 cases as eligible victims of jeonse fraud and related categories.

Of the 480 approved cases, 436 involved new or renewed applications. The remaining 44 involved objections to previous decisions, and further reviews confirmed that they met the requirements under the Special Act on Support for Jeonse Fraud Victims and Housing Stabilization.

Following the reviews, 520 cases were rejected for failing to meet the requirements. Another 152 cases were excluded because the tenants could recover their deposits in full through deposit guarantee insurance, priority repayment of security deposits or other means. Among the objections filed, 179 were dismissed after being found to still fall short of the eligibility requirements for victim status.

To date, the Jeonse Fraud Victim Support Committee has officially recognized a total of 42,039 people as victims of jeonse fraud and related categories. Decisions to request cooperation in urgently postponing or suspending foreclosure and public auction proceedings have reached a cumulative 1,270 cases, while a total of 84,534 instances of support involving housing, financial assistance and legal procedures have been provided to those recognized.

Tenants who are not recognized as victims, as well as those designated as victims of jeonse fraud and related categories, may file objections under the special act. Even if an objection is dismissed, they may reapply if the relevant circumstances subsequently change.

LH is also accelerating its purchases of homes affected by jeonse fraud. As of Oct. 31, LH had purchased 11,542 housing units affected by the fraud.

By year, LH purchased 90 units in 2024, but the pace increased to a monthly average of 163 units in the first half of 2025 and 654 units in the second half. From January to October this year, LH purchased an average of 655 units per month, maintaining a level similar to that of the second half of last year. A total of 6,551 affected housing units were purchased in the first 10 months of this year.

MOLIT and LH are operating purchase review meetings and a fast-track process to speed up the acquisition of affected homes. The measures involve integrating preliminary purchase consultations with the process for requesting home purchases and setting deadlines for each stage of the procedure. They also plan to continue consultations with district courts on proceeding with auctions and other matters to support housing stability for affected tenants.

Tenants affected by jeonse fraud can apply for official victim status through the metropolitan city or provincial government with jurisdiction over their place of residence. Once recognized, they can obtain information on housing, financial and legal support measures through Jeonse Fraud Victim Support and Prevention Centers nationwide and LH branch offices.

A MOLIT official said, "We are operating a 'Safe Contract Consulting Program' with the Korea Housing & Urban Guarantee Corporation (HUG) to prevent jeonse fraud." The official explained, "The program allows prospective tenants to receive consultations before signing a contract, including an analysis of the legal rights associated with the property, the wording of the lease agreement and precautions to take during the contracting process." The official added, "The program is currently operating in eight regions — Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, Gyeonggi Province and South Jeolla Province — and is also scheduled to be introduced in North Gyeongsang Province."

                                                                                                                Kim Da-bin