▲ President Lee Jae-myung speaks during a cabinet meeting held at the Blue House on the 14th.
President Lee Jae-myung utilized the comment section of a live YouTube broadcast during a cabinet meeting to conduct a real-time survey on public opinion regarding increasing the tax burden on owners of ultra-high-priced single homes.
President Lee received a report from the relevant ministry on the "Plan to Collect Public Opinion on Real Estate Policy" during the cabinet meeting he presided over at the Blue House today (July 14).
President Lee stated, "Everyone agrees that people should not suffer because of a single home they reside in, but there is controversy over whether it is right to impose the same (burden) on so-called 'smart single homes' or ultra-high-priced houses worth over 10 billion won."
He then proposed, "If you, the citizens (watching the live YouTube broadcast), think it is better to impose a differential (higher) burden on ultra-high-priced homes, please press 1, and if you do not think so, please press 2."
Shortly after, Minister for Government Policy Coordination Lim Ki-keun reported, "Most of the comments are 1. About 90 percent are 1."
In response, President Lee remarked, "It seems there is a general consensus to strengthen the (burden) even on single-residence homes if they are ultra-high-priced."
President Lee also suggested surveying what would be an appropriate threshold to classify a home as ultra-high-priced.
He requested that viewers press '1' for 1 billion won or more, '2' for 2 billion won or more, and '3' for 3 billion won or more.
When Minister Lim reported, "Many people wrote 3 billion won as the standard," President Lee laughed and asked back, "Isn't that too harsh? If it is 3 billion won (in market value), isn't it only about 1 billion something won in official assessed value?"
When Policy Chief Kim Yong-beom reported, "Many people answered 2 billion won," President Lee laughed again and remarked, "If we set it at 2 billion won, we might be in big trouble."
Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said, "I don't think I have anything to say."
President Lee asked, "I don't have a house now. Does (the Prime Minister's house) exceed 2 billion won?"
Prime Minister Han replied, "I have one house, and it is worth over 2 billion won."
President Lee had put his apartment in Bundang up for sale earlier this year.
Prime Minister Han was initially a multi-home owner with four properties but recently sold three of them to become a single-home owner.
Meanwhile, regarding discussions on real estate tax policy, President Lee stated, "It is not true that taxes are imposed to control housing prices."
He explained, "Equitable taxation is the most important thing, and (controlling housing prices) can be considered a secondary effect."
President Lee pointed out, "The tax system is currently heavily distorted. As a result, it has become a factor that induces real estate speculation."
He emphasized, "Normalizing this is the primary goal."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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