Ha Tae-kyung: "Turning hotels into rental homes? It means telling people to buy chicken coop houses"

Ha Tae-kyung, member of the People Power Party./Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seul-gi] Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, revealed that he is considering measures such as purchasing hotels in Seoul that have been put up for sale due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and supplying them as rental housing. In response, Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, criticized, saying, "I will propose the 'Law to Prohibit the Conversion of Tourist Hotels into Apartments.'"

On the 18th, Ha posted on his Facebook, stating, "Lee Nak-yeon’s idea of turning hotels into rental housing is utterly absurd."

He pointed out, "Hotels and residential apartments have fundamentally different structures and living environments. What people want is a comfortable living space where they can raise their children and rest peacefully, not a single-room hotel with no ventilation."

He continued, "Lee’s plan, which abandons transportation and education, is essentially telling ordinary people to live in chicken coop-like housing. Especially in tourist areas like Haeundae, hotels are currently being converted into apartments for speculative purposes. Residence hotels, which are essentially apartments, are being built like mushrooms after rain, causing great distress to residents."

Ha argued, "Lee’s proposal is to encourage such loopholes at the national level. Even with regulations, it is insufficient, yet the ruling party leader is opening the doors to transportation hell, education hell, and tourism hell."

He added, "We must not further ruin the already botched real estate policies. First, I will promptly propose a law that prohibits the conversion of hotels into apartments or the practice of turning hotels into residence hotels, which are effectively apartments, at least in tourist areas."

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