[Anchor]

A public debate on real estate policy, presided over by President Lee Jae-myung, will be held on the 23rd. President Lee stated that he intends to listen to public opinion on issues such as what constitutes an appropriate property ownership tax, and announced that key points of contention, including ownership and transaction taxes, will be disclosed in advance.

Reporter Kang Cheongwan has the report.

[Reporter]

The Presidential Office announced that President Lee Jae-myung will preside over a grand debate on real estate policy on the 23rd, which will bring together members of the general public, experts, and government officials.

Ahead of the grand debate, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Financial Services Commission, and the Ministry of Finance and Economy will each hold public forums from the 14th to the 16th, covering the topics of housing supply, finance, and tax systems, respectively.

Public opinions will also be collected via the internet.

It is understood that the Presidential Office initiated this debate amid the judgment that public sentiment regarding real estate has worsened as the upward trend in property prices continues, with Seoul apartment prices rising for 74 consecutive weeks.

Kim Yong-beom, Chief of Staff for Policy at the Presidential Office, stated, "Public concern surrounding the recent real estate market is growing," adding, "The government is also taking the market situation very seriously."

The debate is expected to cover a wide range of real estate policies, including tax system reform such as property ownership taxes, supply measures, and loan regulations.

On social media, President Lee stated that he would pre-announce key issues, such as what constitutes an appropriate ownership tax, whether to differentiate between single-home owners for residential purposes and non-residential or multi-home owners, and the relationship between ownership and transaction taxes, and asked the public to share their opinions.

During his first-anniversary press conference last month, President Lee mentioned that property ownership taxes in Korea are too low.

[President Lee Jae-myung / First-Anniversary Press Conference (June 8): Property ownership taxes in our country are generally low. Therefore, there is little burden even if one buys and accumulates many properties.]

There is speculation that the government is pushing for tax reform with a focus on increasing ownership taxes while lowering transaction taxes.

Chief of Staff Kim stated that opinions gathered during the debate could be reflected in the tax reform plan to be announced by early next month at the latest.

(Video reporting: Jung Sang-bo, Video editing: Park Sun-soo, Design: Kang Yoon-jung)