▲President Lee Jae-myung wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday that claims describing the expansion of the residency exemption for non-resident single-home owners in land transaction permit zones as "effectively encouraging gap investment" were "close to 'eokka' (forced bashing)." He also explained that "the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport sought to ensure fairness by giving single-home owners with tenants the same opportunity to sell as multiple-home owners." The post appears to reflect his determination to resolve the supply freeze that emerged after the resumption of heavy capital gains taxes on multiple-home owners. However, concerns remain that this conditional approval of gap investment could further fuel housing price polarization, as non-resident single-home owners may sell properties in outlying areas and shift into prime locations.
▲The government has decided to suspend site selection procedures for one month at 27 transmission line construction project sites nationwide. Kim Sung-hwan, Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment, reached the decision during a meeting with civic groups on the 8th of this month. Expectations ran high that conflicts over transmission networks would be resolved when the "Special Act on Power Grid Expansion" passed the National Assembly last year, but reality has fallen short. In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), shouldn't we prevent a situation in which delays in power grid expansion shake not only core industries such as semiconductors but also national security?
