"Public Rental Housing at 180,000 Won Illegally Subleased for 600,000 Won"... Presidential Office Orders Measures to Block Illegal Subleasing

Kang Hoon-sik: "A system designed for housing stability is being exploited for personal gain... Fundamental reforms needed"

Reviewing introduction of reporting rewards, expansion of on-site inspections, and stronger sanctions

Calls for actua

The Presidential Office has decided to introduce a reward system for reporting, expand on-site inspections, and strengthen penalties, all aimed at fundamentally blocking illegal subleasing in public rental housing, as highlighted by a case where a unit with a monthly rent of 180,000 won was illegally sublet for 600,000 won, generating illicit profits. In addition, the government is considering utilizing information from essential services such as electricity and gas to more accurately verify whether tenants are actually residing in their units.

Hoonshik Kang, Chief of Staff to the President (center), speaks at the high-ranking political and government council held at the Prime Minister's official residence in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on August 23, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 24th, Deputy Spokesperson An Gyu-ryeong of the Presidential Office stated in a written briefing that Hoonshik Kang, Chief of Staff to the President, instructed at the senior aides’ meeting that day, “Public rental housing, introduced to ensure housing stability for ordinary citizens and vulnerable groups, is becoming a source of illegal personal gain for some tenants,” calling for fundamental systemic reforms.

Chief Kang specifically mentioned the case where a public rental apartment with a monthly rent of 180,000 won was illegally sublet for 600,000 won each month, resulting in unjust profits. He pointed out, “The repeated occurrence of subleasing, which has been a longstanding issue, indicates that there are still gaps in management.”

Accordingly, he instructed the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and relevant agencies to prepare measures that could block attempts at illegal subleasing, such as introducing a reward system for reporting violations, expanding field inspections, and strengthening sanctions for illegal acts. He also directed the review of establishing a system to more accurately check the actual residency of tenants by collaborating with local governments and agencies providing on-site services, such as Korea Post, Korea Electric Power Corporation, and Korea Gas Corporation.

Illegal subleasing of public rental housing undermines the credibility of the system, as it transforms housing meant for vulnerable groups into a source of rental income. With the Presidential Office ordering a comprehensive overhaul of reporting, inspection, and sanction systems, measures to strengthen management and oversight, centered around the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, are expected to become more concrete.

Chief Kang also called for a strict response to secondary offenses against victims and families affected by major crimes and social disasters. He cited achievements over the past year—since the National Police Agency established the Crime Investigation Division for Secondary Offenses in July last year—including the investigation of 272 cases, apprehension of 112 individuals, and requests for deletion or blocking of 6,091 illegal posts. Nevertheless, he pointed out that malicious prank calls, abusive text messages, spreading of unverified rumors, and ridicule have recently targeted the family of a missing person in Jeju.

He stressed, “Various forms of secondary harm are emerging, including monetizing conspiracy videos related to social disasters. Ridicule, derogatory remarks, dissemination of false information, and shifting blame to victims and their families inflict further pain on those already deeply wounded and constitute clear secondary harm and a serious crime.” He ordered the National Police Agency to conduct prompt and strict investigations into such crimes, and to come up with diverse eradication measures, such as strengthening criminal penalties and expanding prevention education and public awareness campaigns.

Regarding the recent incident in which apartment residents were buried by an earth collapse following heavy rainfall in Geoje and Tongyeong, Gyeongnam Province on the 17th, Chief Kang emphasized, “Now is the time to focus on speedy recovery and stabilization of residents’ livelihoods in the affected areas, rather than shifting responsibility.”

He also noted ongoing conflict within local governments over whether the cause was artificial slope collapse or landslide, pointing out that “this could further traumatize the local residents.” He particularly ordered relevant ministries to swiftly register information on slopes under their jurisdiction, mentioning that some high-risk areas, such as the apartment slope where the accident occurred, were not registered in the Korea Forest Service’s digital landslide information system.

Chief Kang reiterated the principle that “excessive response is better than insufficient action.” He instructed authorities to proactively implement preemptive measures, such as evacuating residents if warning signs are detected, and to re-examine risk management systems to better respond to extreme weather, especially since there is a possibility of heavy rain due to typhoons through September.

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