President Lee Jae-myung has nominated Hong Ji-sun, the current Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, as the new Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. This decision comes amid pressing issues following the August 13 housing supply measures, including the need for new public land, the commencement of public housing construction, and the expansion of supply in downtown Seoul.
According to the Blue House on August 30, President Lee carried out a reshuffle of six ministries and appointed Hong as the candidate for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Born in 1970 in Donghae, Gangwon Province, Hong graduated from Seongnam High School and earned a degree in civil engineering from Hanyang University, followed by a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Birmingham in the UK. He entered public service after passing the local civil service exam and has held various positions, including Director of the Railway and Port Logistics Bureau in Gyeonggi Province, Director of Urban Housing, and Deputy Mayor of Namyangju.
The Blue House praised Hong for overseeing the entire process of housing supply from planning to execution while serving as Director of Urban Housing in Gyeonggi Province, successfully translating housing stability into tangible results. They expressed confidence that he would quickly supply sufficient housing in desired locations.
With Hong's nomination, the focus of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's policies is expected to shift towards enhancing the execution of housing supply. The government previously announced plans to secure over 100,000 new public housing units in the metropolitan area, expand the construction of public housing, and utilize idle urban land as part of the August 13 measures. A subsequent announcement of over 73,000 new public housing units is anticipated by the end of September or early October.
Hong's ability to navigate negotiations between the central government and local authorities will likely be tested as discussions regarding housing supply solutions in Seoul unfold. The government has opened the possibility of utilizing parts of Yongsan Park and expanding public housing supply, while the Seoul city government emphasizes the preservation of Yongsan Park and greenbelt areas, proposing alternative site utilization. If appointed as minister, Hong's coordination skills will be a key factor in the success of the supply measures.
Challenges in the transportation sector also await Hong. As the Second Vice Minister, he has been responsible for rail and transportation issues. With significant tasks ahead, including preparations for the integrated operation of KTX and SRT, safety inspections of railways, and the expansion of the metropolitan transportation network, the connection between housing supply and transportation infrastructure will become increasingly important. Just the day before, he inspected the site of the Uiwang Station accident and stated, “We will establish fundamental measures to prevent recurrence through thorough investigation of the cause of the accident.”
The real estate market is closely watching how much Hong will push for the expansion of public housing supply and the acceleration of housing construction. As the government has identified supply expansion as a key means to stabilize housing prices, major tasks include designating new land, shortening approval processes, expanding public housing construction by LH, and coordinating roles with private redevelopment projects.
Meanwhile, Hong's nomination appears to be more about accelerating the implementation of the August 13 measures rather than a shift in policy direction. The key for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will be how quickly the announced supply quantities can be translated into actual construction and occupancy schedules.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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