Blue House to Oh Se-hoon: "You're not without responsibility for Seoul's real estate... Work with the government"

"President Lee Jaemyung's increased social media activity reflects his sense of urgency about the current situation... actively communicating with the public"
On Kang Hoon-sik's future: "He watched the Nuri launch with the president today"... draws line on speculation over successor appointment

On Oct. 7, the Blue House urged Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to work with the government, saying he should share responsibility for housing prices and jeonse and monthly rent problems in Seoul, as he has repeatedly criticized the government's real estate policies. It also said President Lee Jaemyung's sharp increase in social media activity in recent days reflected his serious concern over falling approval ratings and misunderstandings about policy, as well as his willingness to communicate directly with the public.

The phoenix flag flies over Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Dec. 29, 2025, as President Lee Jaemyung heads to work, marking the official return to the Cheong Wa Dae era after three years and seven months. Photo by Cho Yongjun.

Asked by reporters that day about Mayor Oh's recent criticism of real estate policies, a Blue House official said, "I'm not sure whether it's appropriate for the Blue House spokesperson to comment on Mayor Oh Se-hoon's remarks," but added, "Is Mayor Oh not also responsible for real estate issues in Seoul?" The official continued, "I hope the Seoul Metropolitan Government will work closely with the government to address housing supply issues and ease the difficulties in the jeonse and monthly rental markets." The remarks were seen as emphasizing that the Seoul Metropolitan Government also shares responsibility for housing supply and stability, in response to Mayor Oh's criticism blaming government policies for unstable housing prices and rental markets in the Seoul metropolitan area.

The official said the recent surge in President Lee's social media posts was part of an effort to communicate more actively with the public. "The president's active use of social media is nothing new," the official said. "It is well known that he has consistently communicated with the public and promoted policies through social media, from his time as mayor of Seongnam and governor of Gyeonggi Province through his election as president."

The official also said President Lee's sense of urgency about the current state of affairs was behind the sharp increase in recent posts. "It seems the president views the current situation as urgent," the official said, adding, "It is true that recent assessments of the administration and its approval ratings have declined." The official continued, "This shows his determination to communicate actively with the public about these issues. He appears to believe that misunderstandings have accumulated, and that if there are misunderstandings, they should be resolved through active communication. He also believes it is necessary to accurately convey the policy achievements of the past one year and four months."

The official declined to comment on speculation about the future of Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, who has expressed his intention to resign, or the appointment of his successor. Asked about possible candidates and when a new chief of staff might be appointed, the official said, "I don't know who is being considered for the position," adding, "It would not be appropriate to comment on personnel matters." The official nevertheless said, "The chief of staff watched the Nuri rocket launch with the president today, didn't he? Perhaps the fact that they watched it together can serve as a partial answer." That day, Chief of Staff Kang watched the fifth launch of the Nuri rocket live from the presidential office, together with President Lee, policy chief Ha Joon-kyung, and Senior Secretary for AI Future Planning Lee Hae-min.

The official offered no assessment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's acquittal in an appeals court in a case concerning allegations that he received free opinion polls from political broker Myung Tae-kyun, saying, "We do not believe this is a matter on which the Blue House should express a particular position, as it relates to a trial."

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