Amidst the controversy surrounding the statement by Lee Sang-kyung, the First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, that “you can buy a house when the prices fall,” and the ‘gap investment’ issue, the ruling Democratic Party also labeled the remark as “inappropriate.”
Today (22nd), Jun-ho Han, a top member of the Democratic Party, expressed his apologies to the public during a supreme council meeting held at the National Assembly. He stated, “As a top member of the party and a member of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, I sincerely apologize for the concern caused by the inappropriate remarks of Vice Minister Lee Sang-kyung.”
Han emphasized the importance of public officials, especially high-ranking ones like the Vice Minister, being mindful of their words, which are directly linked to public trust. He noted, “Through this incident, we should humbly listen to the voice of the people and establish responsible governance.”
Park Jumin, a Democratic Party lawmaker who declared his candidacy for Seoul mayor, expressed similar concerns on MBC radio’s ‘Kim Jong-bae’s Attention.’ He stressed the need to be cautious with words and actions.
Park further pointed out that historically, those who have introduced housing policies, regardless of party affiliation, have been evaluated based on their own housing ownership. This has impacted the credibility of housing policies.
In this context, Park emphasized the need for the party, the presidential office, and the government to maintain vigilance and adopt a humble approach moving forward.
Democratic Party spokesperson Park Soo-hyun stated, “The party’s stance is to avoid actions and words that could disrupt policy direction or be used for attacks on non-essential matters.”
He also noted, “Jun-ho Han’s remarks are in line with this view,” and indicated that the issue would be revisited during the Land Committee’s national audit.
However, Park criticized the People Power Party for using Vice Minister Lee’s remarks for political attacks, accusing them of trying to undermine policy by targeting key messengers, even though the essence of the policy remains unaffected.
Democratic Party lawmaker Jin Sung-joon also addressed the gap investment controversy on CBS radio’s ‘Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show,’ explaining, “Many people who have purchased homes have taken loans, including myself, when I bought an apartment 10 years after getting married.”
He questioned the logic, “Isn’t it abnormal to have to take on an unbearable amount of debt to own a house due to soaring prices?”
Moon Jin-seok, the Democratic Party’s floor leader, criticized the Vice Minister’s comment, stating, “People get frustrated when officials say ‘earn money and buy a house’ while owning properties worth tens of billions themselves.”
He further remarked that the People Power Party is in a worse situation, claiming, “They have twice as many lawmakers with prime properties in Gangnam,” questioning the credibility of their real estate policy criticism.
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