Kim Hyun-mi Reveals the Aftermath of the Symbolic 'Hallway Waiting Apartments' Amid Jeonse Crisis

Photos of Crowds Visiting Jeonse Houses Recently Spread on Internet Cafes and SNS
Minister Kim: "Prices Are Affordable, and Tenants Showed Houses to Visitors"
"Crowds Gathered at Specific Times"

People waiting in line to view rental houses / Photo by Internet Community Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Recently, a photo showing people lined up in the hallway of an apartment waiting to view rental houses has become a hot topic on internet communities and social networking services (SNS). In response, Kim Hyunmi, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, commented on the photo.

Minister Kim attended the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee’s audit on the 23rd. On that day, So Byunghun, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "Looking at the rental listings, transactions in the market are actively taking place," and added, "If reports differ from reality, they should be accurately tracked and properly informed to the public." In response, Minister Kim brought up the photo in question.

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mi is attending the comprehensive audit of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 23rd. / Photo by Yonhap News

The photo shows people crowded and lined up in the hallway of an apartment to view rental houses. Some netizens reacted by saying, "The rental housing shortage must be so severe that people have to line up to see houses," and the photo has come to be recognized as a symbol of the rental housing crisis.

Regarding this, Minister Kim explained, "After investigating the photo, it turned out that the house was registered as a housing rental business, so its rental price was about 100 million to 150 million KRW cheaper than other houses." She added, "At that time, during the COVID-19 pandemic, most other houses were not being shown, but that house set specific visiting hours and said, 'If you visit at this time, we will show the house,' which attracted many people."

She continued, "The area is a large complex with many small units around 1 pyeong (approximately 3.3 square meters), and there are few apartments around 20 pyeong (approximately 66 square meters). This house was of that size, the price was like that, and the tenant was willing to show the house, so many people gathered at a specific time."

She added, "They said they did not expect it to cause such a stir," and "However, if I say this, there might be reports calling me a 'minister who distorts the rental housing crisis,' so I held back a bit."

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