President Lee calls for all-out efforts to boost housing supply

President Lee Jae Myung called for faster administrative procedures for housing construction in South Korea on Tuesday as housing prices continued to rise. He cited declining construction permits and new land supplies over the past three years as causes of housing-supply disruptions. Lee also ordered a comprehensive overhaul of public-safety functions and urged the newly launched Serious Crime Investigation Agency to conduct impartial investigations.

Lee directed officials to shorten the time needed to prepare development land and grant construction permits, without being constrained by customary procedures.

Lee instructed officials to conduct safety checks at crowded facilities, bridges and other major public structures.

The Serious Crime Investigation Agency was launched earlier this month as part of prosecution reform that removed investigative authority from prosecutors.

The prosecution service remains responsible for indictments and maintaining prosecutions, while the SCIA investigates serious crimes including corruption and stock- and financial-related offenses.

Published Oct 20, 2026 11:24 am KST

Updated Oct 20, 2026 11:49 am KST

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday stressed the need to cut the time required for administrative procedures in building homes, calling for all-out efforts to boost housing supply.

The president made the call during a Cabinet meeting as runaway housing prices persist despite the government's efforts to cool the market.

"Stable housing is the foundation for practical improvements in people's lives," Lee said, citing a decline in housing construction permits and the supply of new land for real estate development over the past three years as reasons for disruptions in housing supply.

"In order to resolve the current problems in the real estate market, created by various factors that have accumulated over the years, consistent market management policies and large-scale housing supply measures should be implemented promptly," he added.

Lee instructed officials to make all-out efforts to boost housing supply by cutting the time needed to prepare land for development and granting administrative permits for house construction as quickly as possible, "without being constrained by customary practices and procedures."

"I ask you to make all-out efforts with the determination that the success of administrative management depends on stabilizing the housing (market)," he noted.

Additionally, the president called for a comprehensive overhaul of the country's public safety functions, including policing, firefighting and disaster prevention, saying thorough protection measures are needed not only for the public but also for those working in such fields.

"Administrative capacities should be focused on building a nation that safeguards the lives of its people and protects their everyday lives," the president said, instructing officials to conduct thorough safety checks of facilities that draw crowds, bridges and other key public structures.

The president also highlighted that the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA) should focus on ensuring impartiality in its investigation, particularly into crimes that harm people's lives, such as corruption and offenses involving stocks and financial matters.

He directed the instruction at Kim Ji-yong, the inaugural SCIA chief who attended the Cabinet meeting for the first time, urging him to carry out his duties promptly and sternly to allay public worries over prosecution reform and help maintain a fair social order.

The SCIA was launched earlier this month to investigate serious crimes as part of the Lee administration's prosecution reform, which removed investigative authority from the prosecution service, leaving it responsible only for indictments and their maintenance.

由于房价持续上涨，韩国总统李在明周二呼吁加快住房建设的行政审批流程。他指出，过去三年建筑许可数量和新土地供应量的下降是造成住房供应中断的原因。李在明还下令对公共安全职能进行全面改革，并敦促新成立的重案调查厅开展公正的调查。

李指示官员缩短准备开发用地和颁发施工许可证所需的时间，不受惯例程序的约​​束。

李指示官员们对人流密集的场所、桥梁和其他主要公共建筑进行安全检查。

严重犯罪调查局于本月初成立，这是检控改革的一部分，旨在剥夺检察官的调查权。

检察机关仍负责起诉和维持诉讼，而特别刑事调查局则负责调查包括腐败、股票和金融犯罪在内的严重犯罪。

发布于2026年10月20日上午11:24（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月20日上午11:49（韩国标准时间）

周二，李在明总统在青瓦台主持内阁会议并发表讲话。（韩联社）

李在明总统周二强调，需要缩短房屋建设行政手续所需的时间，并呼吁全力以赴提高住房供应量。

尽管政府努力为市场降温，但房价仍持续飙升，总统在内阁会议上发出这一呼吁。

李说：“稳定的住房是改善人们生活的基础。”他指出，过去三年住房建设许可证的减少和房地产开发用地供应的减少是造成住房供应中断的原因。

他补充说：“为了解决当前房地产市场由多年积累的各种因素造成的问题，应立即实施连贯的市场管理政策和大规模住房供应措施。”

李指示官员们要全力以赴增加住房供应，缩短土地开发准备时间，并尽快发放房屋建设的行政许可证，“不受惯例和程序的约束”。

“我要求你们全力以赴，下定决心，行政管理的成功取决于住房（市场）的稳定，”他指出。

此外，总统呼吁对该国的公共安全职能进行全面改革，包括警务、消防和防灾，并表示不仅需要对公众采取彻底的保护措施，还需要对在这些领域工作的人员采取彻底的保护措施。

总统表示，“行政能力应该集中精力建设一个能够保障人民生命安全和日常生活安全的国家”，并指示官员们对人流密集的设施、桥梁和其他重要公共建筑进行彻底的安全检查。

总统还强调，严重犯罪调查局（SCIA）应重点确保调查的公正性，特别是对危害人民生活的犯罪，如腐败以及涉及股票和金融事务的犯罪。

他指示首次出席内阁会议的首任最高情报院院长金智勇，敦促他迅速、严厉地履行职责，以消除公众对检察改革的担忧，并帮助维护公平的社会秩序。

本月早些时候，严重犯罪调查局 (SCIA) 成立，旨在调查严重犯罪案件。这是李光耀政府检察改革的一部分，该改革取消了检察机关的调查权，使其只负责起诉和维护起诉书。