[Comprehensive] "I am a tenant" Yoon Hee-sook's speech sparks attention... Citizens and politicians say "Finally doing it right"

Yoon Hee-sook's '5-Minute Speech on the Lease 3 Laws' Sparks Debate
Civilians Say "It Feels Refreshing", "I Relate"
Jin Joong-kwon: "Emotionally Represented the People's Sentiments"

Yoon Hee-sook, a member of the United Future Party, is speaking against the Lease Protection Act at the National Assembly plenary session on the 30th. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] Yoon Hee-sook, a former economist and a member of the Future United Party, delivered a so-called "5-minute real estate speech" regarding the three lease laws at the National Assembly plenary session, which has become a hot topic on SNS and other platforms. Voices of encouragement and support for Yoon are growing among citizens. Positive reviews of Yoon's remarks are also continuing within the political circles, including fellow lawmakers.

On the 30th, ahead of the passage of the three lease laws, Yoon made a critical statement during a 5-minute free speech at the National Assembly plenary session in Yeouido, Seoul.

Yoon began by saying, "I am a tenant," and continued, "When I looked at the bill voted on today, did I feel good? No. I thought, 'In four years, I will inevitably have to move into a monthly rent,' and 'There will be no more jeonse (long-term deposit lease) anymore.'

She added, "The moment landlords become afraid to rent out their houses, the market collapses. Although the jeonse system has already entered the path of extinction, many people still prefer jeonse. However, because of this law, it is forced to enter the path of rapid extinction. It has thrown many people into confusion. The jeonse crisis has already begun," she pointed out.

She then questioned, "When this problem appeared, can we really say it was an irresistible force, something we could not have predicted? Let's concede 100 times that it was so. When making laws that affect the lives of 10 million people in our country, we must at least check what problems we might not have thought of. That is why there is a committee review process," she emphasized.

Yoon strongly criticized, "With what kind of audacity and arrogance can you make this law without checking? Those who made this law, and the Democratic Party who proceeded with the process without committee review, will be remembered for a long, long time. They will be remembered in the history of Korea's jeonse system, real estate policy, and people's livelihood," she said.

The video of Yoon's speech quickly spread through YouTube and online communities, garnering support from citizens. Yoon also ranked first in real-time search terms on portal sites that day.

Yoon Hee-sook, a member of the United Future Party, is expressing concerns during a 5-minute free speech at the National Assembly plenary session on the 30th, after the passage of the Housing Lease Protection Act, which includes the introduction of the monthly rent ceiling system and the right to request contract renewal. Photo by Yonhap News

Citizens expressed their reactions through SNS posts and portal site comments, saying things like "Legendary video," "It feels refreshing," "As an economist, her insight into the essence of the economy is accurate," and "If the Future United Party approaches the people with such sincerity, it can gain support."

Meanwhile, voices agreeing with Yoon's claims are also emerging in the political sphere.

Hwang Bo-seung-hee, a Future United Party lawmaker, shared a video titled "Legendary video related to the three lease laws (Yoon Hee-sook)" on her Facebook on the 30th, praising, "Yoon's 5-minute speech sends chills down my spine."

She criticized, "What is the Democratic Party in such a hurry for? The enactment of laws directly related to people's livelihood should be carefully and repeatedly reviewed in the bill subcommittee to minimize side effects."

Park Soo-young, also from the same party, wrote on her Facebook, "Listen to how the Lease Protection Act passed at today's plenary session makes life harder for vulnerable people," and added, "This is the first plenary speech by the country's top economist who became a lawmaker."

Former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon evaluated Yoon's speech on the 31st, saying, "Finally, someone is doing it properly."

He added, "I evaluate this speech in two ways. First, the criticism is rational, and second, it emotionally represents the feelings of a significant portion of the people," and noted, "This is not a fight to be waged with a crowbar."

Meanwhile, Yoon graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in economics, earned a Ph.D. in economics from Columbia University in the U.S., and served as head of the Fiscal Welfare Policy Research Department at KDI (Korea Development Institute), a private advisor to the National Economic Advisory Council, and a public member of the Minimum Wage Commission. She currently serves as the chairperson of the Economic Innovation Committee under the party's emergency committee and as a member of the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.