'K-Housing' Gains Recognition... Seoul Shares Public Housing Policies with Malaysia

Malaysian UTM Delegation Visits Seoul
Studies Advanced Public Housing Models
Shares Key Policies like 'Mirinae Jip' and 'Saessak One Room'
Lays Foundation for ASEAN Housing Policy Development

On June 19, Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that professors and researchers from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) visited Seoul City Hall to learn about the city's public housing policies and to share experiences related to policy implementation.

Meeting scene of the delegation from Malaysia University of Technology. Seoul City

The visit, which took place the previous day, was organized at the official request of the Public Service Department's Housing Division under the Prime Minister's Office of Malaysia. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia is currently conducting research on the Public Servants' Housing Program (PPAM), which is overseen by Malaysia's Prime Minister's Office. The visiting delegation chose Seoul as a case study for outstanding international practices, believing that the city's various experiences in securing public interest while responding to growing urban housing demand would provide valuable insights for developing Malaysia's own housing policies and ensuring their successful implementation.

Seoul Metropolitan Government introduced the main directions of its housing policy and the system for supplying and managing public housing. Through meetings with city officials, the delegation was able to share Seoul's accumulated experience and know-how regarding policy implementation. The city presented a comprehensive blueprint of its public housing policy, including the supply of public rental and public sale housing, as well as financial support for housing costs, all aimed at stabilizing housing for Seoul citizens without homes.

Seoul announced its plan to supply a total of 130,000 public housing units by 2031, building a robust housing ladder that enables residents without homes to live stably and plan for the future. The city also explained that it is continuously diversifying and developing its policy approaches so that citizens in various situations—including low-income groups, youth, newlyweds, and the elderly—can tangibly benefit from its policies.

The Malaysian delegation expressed interest in Seoul's public housing supply system, residential policies, and methods for managing public housing overall. In particular, they showed keen interest in the priority purchase right benefit of the "Mirinae Jip" program. The delegation also asked in-depth questions about the selection criteria for residents, the average out-of-pocket expenses for Mirinae Jip tenants and the rationale for setting these targets, as well as related laws needed to carry out such projects.

Seoul Metropolitan Government explained the process of policy design to ensure both public interest and sustainability, as well as the outcomes achieved in project implementation. The city also shared its experiences in coordinating diverse stakeholder interests and improving systems during the policy execution phase. In addition, Seoul shared practical administrative experiences and policy know-how that have been accumulated by responding to the unique demographic and housing challenges of a major city.

The two institutions held in-depth discussions on Seoul's newly introduced customized housing policies for youth and newlyweds, including the "Mirinae Jip" for newly married couples and the "Saessak One Room" for young people.

Both sides agreed to continue exchanging policy ideas through written Q&A and additional consultations in the future. Kim Miseon, Director of City Diplomacy at Seoul Metropolitan Government, remarked, "Interest in learning from Seoul's outstanding policies continues to expand beyond national and city governments to the private sector and academia, reflecting Seoul's growing role as a global city. Going forward, we will actively support the international dissemination of excellent policies and further strengthen Seoul's role as a policy exchange platform where cities around the world can share their experiences and solutions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.