[Anchor]

The legislative notice period for the government's tax reform bill concluded today (the 20th). However, even the ruling party pointed out that the government's approach of announcing the plan first and vowing to consult with the National Assembly later has invited public criticism. Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Koo Yun-cheol stated that he will minimize public inconvenience by accommodating demands to further expand the grounds for recognizing exceptions for single-home non-residents.

This is reporter Kim Bo-mi.

[Reporter]

At a full meeting of the National Assembly's Strategy and Finance Committee held today—with the People Power Party absent due to conflicts over standing committee operations—

criticism emerged even from within the ruling party that it was problematic for the government to announce the tax reform bill first and seek to supplement it belatedly.

[Moon Jin-seok / Democratic Party of Korea:] "Isn't there public backlash precisely because you announce things first and say you will consult with the National Assembly's standing committees later?"]

[Park Hong-keun / Minister of Economy and Finance:] "I certainly agree on the necessity of communication."

An opposition lawmaker criticized that tightening the tax burden on "single-home non-residents" would drive up jeonse (lump-sum housing deposit) and monthly rent prices,

[Lee Jun-seok / Reform Party:] "Since actual residents will try to move in, jeonse supplies will completely dry up. If you make policies without anticipating this, you should all pack your bags."]

Arguments were also raised that multi-home owners are trying to dispose of rural and provincial houses first to lighten their tax burdens, meaning that attempts to control housing prices in Gangnam, Seoul, end up sparking trouble in regional areas.

[Lee Choon-seok / Independent:] "People are dumping their houses in the provinces. Gyeongsangbuk-do ranks first in the increase rate of apartment listings. Isn't this like burning down the whole house just to catch a bedbug?"]

Regarding the regulations on "single-home non-residents," Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Koo Yun-cheol stated that there are many demands to further broaden the grounds for recognizing exceptions to non-residency, and that he plans to partially accept them.

[Koo Yun-cheol / Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance:] "If there are truly unavoidable reasons for non-residency during the implementation process, we will ensure there is no inconvenience for the public..."]

As the legislative notice period for the tax reform bill wraps up today, the government and the ruling party plan to initiate further coordination through a high-level party-government consultative meeting on the 23rd.

(Camera: Lee Seung-hwan, Shin Dong-hwan | Video Editing: Park Sun-su)