▲ Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visits the Gaebong Sagium Youth Safe Housing in Guro-gu, Seoul, on the 12th to hold a meeting with resident youths.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon met with young people to discuss housing measures and subsequently criticized Democratic Party lawmaker Hwang Hee's "bus house" proposal.
Following his visit to the "Gaebong Sagium" Youth Safe Housing in Gaebong-dong, Guro-gu, today (the 12th), Mayor Oh posted a message on social media titled "I Will Defend the Youth Housing Ladder."
Mayor Oh wrote, "Listening to vivid stories from the field made me realize once again how desperate the issue of 'housing' is for young people."
He explained, "One young person said that amid a situation where soaring monthly rent forced them to cut back on living expenses, winning a spot in the Youth Safe Housing was a tremendous relief."
"Another young person stated that after moving into the Youth Safe Housing, their housing cost burden decreased, and they are using the money saved to prepare for certification exams," he added.
He also wrote, "Listening to the stories of young people filled me with a deep sense of responsibility. It is a reality that housing, which should serve as the safest shelter for youths leading busy daily lives and nurturing their dreams, instead becomes a heavy burden crushing their lives."
Mayor Oh diagnosed, "For young people, housing is a 'life ladder.' It is the foundation for enduring today and preparing for tomorrow, and a starting point that enables them to save, take on challenges, start families, and move toward a better future."
He pointed out, "The recent absurd idea to remodel retired buses and utilize them as youth housing must have stemmed from a failure to properly understand what housing means to young people."
Previously, lawmaker Hwang proposed remodeling retired buses into living spaces to provide short-term housing for college students near universities as a way to expand housing supply for youths, but later apologized after facing a wave of criticism.
Gaebong Sagium, visited by Mayor Oh today, is a Youth Safe Housing complex near Gaebong Station with a total of 605 units, consisting of 96 public rental units, 177 units pre-acquired by the Seoul Housing & Communities Corporation (SH), and 332 private rental units.
Mayor Oh toured the residential units and community spaces including a laundry room, gym, and library, and held a discussion with three youths residing there.
Resident youths evaluated that because it is located near a subway station, commuting is convenient, and the rent is lower than the surrounding market rate, reducing their housing cost burden compared to before moving in.
Opinions were also raised that the reduced housing cost burden, which previously accounted for over 30 percent of their monthly income, has enabled them to use the saved funds for self-development, preparing for job transitions, or planning for the future through savings.
The youths also expressed concern that tighter household loan regulations have made it difficult to obtain jeonse (lump-sum deposit) loans, making them worried about securing the deposits needed for lease renewals.
They also voiced concerns over the so-called "marriage penalty," where combined couple incomes after marriage could exclude them from policy loan eligibility.
One young person who met Mayor Oh shared that they live in a public rental unit for a monthly rent of 150,000 won, saying, "The advantage is that I can live affordably, and life is comfortable."
Another young person remarked, "The competition rate is fierce," adding, "I didn't know the competition rate because it wasn't disclosed, but after applying to six or seven places, I got into one."
In response, Mayor Oh said, "We need to supply more," and added, "Youth Safe Housing will only increase if we enable developers to invest, but while the Seoul Metropolitan Government has a strong will, the government is not easing tax regulations."
Following the meeting, Mayor Oh stated, "Listening to the stories of young people today reaffirmed that a home is not merely a space to stay, but a starting point to study, work, save, and prepare for the future," adding, "Housing should not be the reason young people leave Seoul."
He further added, "We will make the youth housing ladder denser so that they can live stably with eased burdens of monthly rent and deposits, accumulate assets, and advance to the next stage," and "We will focus administrative capabilities on policies that young people can actually experience, not just housing supply, but also financial and monthly rent support."
(Photo: Joint Press Corps, Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.