Meeting with Jeonse Fraud Victims
Ruling Party Lawmakers: "A Social Disaster"
"All Efforts for Victim Relief"
On July 18, the National Policy Planning Committee proposed that the Office of the President swiftly adopt the "Support Measures for Victims of Jeonse Fraud" as a priority initiative. The proposal focuses on granting the highest priority repayment rights to small-scale tenants, expediting the purchase of homes for victims, and providing prompt relief for victims of trust fraud. During his presidential campaign, President Lee Jaemyung pledged to expand relief for victims of jeonse fraud and to strengthen penalties for perpetrators, particularly targeting young people.
Jungheon Lee, Planning Committee Member of the Economic Subcommittee 2 of the National Policy Planning Committee, is holding a post-briefing on the meeting with victims of jeonse fraud at the Government Seoul Office Building Changseong-dong Annex in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 18th. Photo by Yonhap News
On this day, the committee held a meeting with victims of jeonse fraud, attended by lawmakers from the Democratic Party's Special Committee on Jeonse Fraud, civic groups, and relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Justice, to discuss these issues.
Jungheon Lee, Planning Committee Member of the Economic Subcommittee 2 of the National Policy Planning Committee, stated during the opening remarks of the meeting, "Although the government enacted a special law to alleviate the suffering of jeonse fraud victims, many people are still struggling and have not yet recovered from the damage." He added, "The committee, the government, and the ruling party will all actively cooperate to ensure the prompt recovery of these individuals."
Yeom Taeyoung, a lawmaker serving as secretary of the Democratic Party's Special Committee on Jeonse Fraud, participated in the meeting and said, "The jeonse fraud issue is a social disaster. It should not be dismissed as a matter between individuals." He continued, "Already, more than 10 victims have lost their lives. We must ensure that innocent citizens are not driven to the edge of a cliff."
The proposal includes a revision to the "Housing Lease Protection Act" to change the reference point for determining small-scale tenants eligible for priority repayment from the "time of collateral acquisition" to the "time of lease contract signing." Hongkeun Park, head of the Planning Division of the National Policy Planning Committee, projected, "If the reference point is changed in accordance with the Housing Lease Protection Act, approximately 2,000 victims will be able to recover at least a minimum amount." The Democratic Party plans to swiftly prepare an amendment to the Housing Lease Protection Act to include this change.
There are also plans to expedite the purchase of homes for victims in accordance with the Special Act on Jeonse Fraud. The committee aims to actively coordinate with district courts nationwide to accelerate the auction and public sale processes for affected properties and to shorten the purchase period for homes in violation of the Building Act from about seven months to three months. To ensure rapid implementation, the National Assembly is preparing to introduce an amendment to the Special Act on Jeonse Fraud reflecting these changes in August.
The proposal also addresses the prompt relief of victims of trust fraud, who have previously fallen through the cracks of support measures. The government was advised to immediately begin a rights status survey, a prerequisite for resolving trust fraud issues, between August and September of this year, and to establish procedures for trust companies to prioritize negotiations with LH for the sale of affected properties.
In addition, the committee emphasized the need to enhance transparency in the review process for victims of jeonse fraud. In cases where applications for victim status under the Special Act on Jeonse Fraud are denied, applicants should receive a detailed explanation of the review results. Jungheon Lee stated, "By providing detailed explanations to applicants whose applications for victim status under the special act are not approved, we can enable prompt document supplementation and resubmission, which will ultimately allow more victims to receive support under the act." He added, "We will immediately begin improving the system so that, starting in October this year, applicants can receive satisfactory explanations, address the reasons for rejection, and resubmit their applications, ultimately enabling more victims to receive relief."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
