Seoul Councilman Choi Jin-hyuk Submits Proposal Opposing 'Jeonse 9-Year Renewal' Amendment

Concerns Grow Over Shrinking Jeonse Market and Accelerating Shift to Monthly Rent

Choi Jin-hyuk, a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council’s Housing and Space Committee (People Power Party, Gangseo District 3), announced on October 24 that he has submitted a proposal opposing the so-called ‘3+3+3 Jeonse 9-Year Renewal Clause’ included in the recently proposed partial amendment to the Housing Lease Protection Act in the National Assembly.

Seoul city council members affiliated with the People Power Party are holding a rally criticizing the government's real estate policies. Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Council.

This amendment would increase the number of times a tenant can request a contract renewal from the current one time to two times, and extend the renewal lease period from two years to three years, allowing the same jeonse contract to be maintained for up to nine years. However, Councilman Choi expressed concern that such provisions would sharply reduce the supply of jeonse properties and accelerate the shift to monthly rent, ultimately increasing the burden on tenants.

He pointed out, “The Seoul jeonse market has never had much capacity for supply to begin with, and if long-term leases are forced on top of this, the supply of jeonse properties will inevitably shrink.” He added, “As a result, ordinary citizens and young people will lose even the opportunity to access the jeonse market, and only face a greater burden from monthly rent.”

He further stated, “The core causes of jeonse fraud are information asymmetry, inadequate deposit protection mechanisms, and insufficient vetting of malicious landlords. Simply increasing the contract period cannot solve these problems, so toxic provisions that only distort the jeonse market must be withdrawn.”

Councilman Choi emphasized, “What is needed for the housing stability of ordinary citizens and young people is not more regulation of the jeonse market, but effective institutional improvements such as strengthening public disclosure of landlord information and improving deposit protection mechanisms.” He urged the National Assembly to “recognize the real housing situation faced by ordinary citizens and shift toward a more rational legislative direction.”

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