"Jeonse Prices Rise by 130 Million Won, Feeling Helpless"... LH and Hyanggun Help 80s War Veteran

National Veteran Injured in Vietnam War
Homeowner Struggles with Recent Rent Increase
LH and Hanggun Urgently Provide Rental Housing Support
Sent a 4-Page Thank You Letter to Hanggun
"Grateful for Projects Giving Hope to Veterans"

A (81), a Vietnam War veteran, sent a letter to the Veterans Association after applying for the LH-Veterans Association long-term service veteran rental housing support program.

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] "I don't know how many times I cried because of the frustration of leaving the military as a lieutenant colonel and living without a house. I am truly grateful for the project that gives hope to discharged veterans."

The housing issue of an 80-year-old war veteran, who was left in despair due to the landlord's sudden demand for a steep increase in the jeonse deposit, was recently resolved with the help of Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) and the Republic of Korea Veterans Association (Hyanggun), a fact that has come to light belatedly.

According to a report by Asia Economy on the 12th, Mr. A (81), a Vietnam War veteran living in an apartment in Sinjang-dong, Hanam-si, Gyeonggi-do, was recently told by his landlord to raise the jeonse deposit from the current 170 million won to 300 million won by the contract expiration date of the 15th of next month, an increase of 130 million won.

Although the current Jeonse and Monthly Rent Cap System limits sudden increases in deposits, conflicts arose because the jeonse market price for this apartment has roughly doubled over the past two years.

As Mr. A’s worries deepened, he learned through an article that LH and Hyanggun are conducting a customized rental housing support project for discharged veterans in difficult circumstances. This project is based on a business agreement signed last November between LH and Hyanggun to improve the housing welfare of discharged veterans who served more than 10 years. By the time Mr. A read the article, 29 tenants had already been selected and announced.

Desperate for a solution, Mr. A called Hyanggun, and upon learning of his situation, LH and Hyanggun decided to urgently include him as a support recipient after internal meetings and eligibility verification.

During LH’s screening process, Mr. A was confirmed as a national merit recipient who served in the Marine Corps Cheongryong Unit during the Vietnam War in 1968 and was injured in a bombing accident. After completing a one-year deployment, he returned to Korea and served on active duty for decades until retiring as a Marine lieutenant colonel in 1987.

Upon receiving the news of his selection for rental housing, Mr. A sent a four-page letter of gratitude to Hyanggun earlier this month. In the letter, he wrote, "After hanging up the phone with Hyanggun, I cried a lot alone without my wife knowing," adding, "It was a heart-wrenching feeling of guilt for having lived my life wrongly."

He continued, "A miracle happened in my life, and my earnest wish is to spend my final days in my own home," and expressed gratitude for the project that gives hope to retired soldiers, saying, "I have moved many times after retirement, and I am thankful for this project."

In a phone interview with Asia Economy, he said, "Fortunately, the conflict with the landlord is being resolved well," and added, "Although I have hearing loss in one ear and my eyesight is dim, I am accepting it positively and living well."

The rental housing supported by LH this time allows residents to live for up to 20 years at 30% of the market rent, and there is no limit on contract renewals for those aged 65 or older. An LH official said, "We want to provide maximum benefits to national merit recipients, similar to permanent rental housing," and added, "We plan to continue the project so that more discharged veterans can move in during the second half of the year."