"Moon Couple to Live Alone, Private Residence Limited to 6 Pyeong"… Cheong National Petition Raised

President Moon Jae-in is inspecting the interior of a duplex rental house at the Dongtan public rental housing complex, commemorating 1 million LH rental houses, in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi Province, on the morning of the 11th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] Amid the buzz over President Moon Jae-in's remark that "a family of four could live" in a 13-pyeong rental house, a Blue House petition has been raised requesting to limit the size of President Moon Jae-in's official residence to 6 pyeong. The petition is currently private and will be made public after meeting the '100 preliminary consents' requirement and undergoing administrator review.

On the morning of the 12th, a link (URL) to the Blue House petition for preliminary consent with this content was posted mainly on online communities.

The petitioner wrote, "The president reportedly said that a couple with two children and even pets could live in a 13-pyeong rental house," adding, "Since the president does not have children and only the couple will live there, I think a 6-pyeong residence (half of 13 pyeong) after retirement is sufficient."

This appears to mock President Moon's comment the previous day when he visited the Hwaseong Happy Housing Complex and said that a family of four could live in a 13-pyeong rental house.

Earlier on the 11th, President Moon, along with nominee for Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Byun Chang-heum, toured a rental house of about 44㎡ (13 pyeong) with two rooms and said, "One child is standard for newlyweds, and two children are possible if they are young," which sparked controversy. In response to the public outcry over the remark, the Blue House explained that "President Moon was asking a question."

[Image source = Screenshot from the Blue House National Petition website]

The petitioner pointed out, "The Blue House explains that the president asked the question and Minister Byun, who is the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, answered, but since he is also appointed by the president, what difference does it make?" and added, "I hope they take responsibility for their statements and lead by example."

The petition is currently undergoing the preliminary consent process according to the Blue House petition board's disclosure regulations. After meeting the '100 preliminary consents' requirement and review, it is expected to be officially published on the website soon.