President Lee on comparison of Korean and foreign property holding taxes: "I was curious too"

According to The Financial News, President Lee introduced an article that compared property holding taxes on housing in major foreign cities with those in Korea, remarking, "I was curious too."
On the night of the 23rd, Lee posted on X (formerly Twitter), sharing a news article titled "How do property holding taxes in major advanced cities compare with those in our country?" and added this comment.
Earlier, on the 22nd, Lee ordered Cheong Wa Dae (the Blue House) and the Cabinet to exclude multiple-home owners, non-resident owners of high-priced homes, and those who hold excessive real estate from the process of discussing, drafting, reporting and approving housing and real estate policy.
He has repeatedly stressed that "real estate, and especially stable housing prices, will determine the success or failure of this administration and the fate of the Republic of Korea (ROK)," which is why his latest remarks are drawing attention.
At the State Council meeting on the 17th, Lee addressed reform of the real estate tax system, saying that "taxes are a last resort" and reaffirming his stance that taxes should be used only as a final measure.
At the time, Lee stated, "To put it in wartime terms, taxes are like nuclear weapons. They must not be used recklessly," but added, "Even so, if we reach a point where they must be used as a last resort, then we must use them. Please make thorough preparations."
Previously, Chief Presidential Secretary for Policy of the Republic of Korea Kim Yong-beom also said in a media interview that he was "studying property holding taxes in metropolitan cities such as New York City, London, Tokyo and Shanghai, which are similar to Seoul," adding, "Since real estate is an issue for Seoul rather than for the entire ROK, it is more appropriate to use metropolitan property holding taxes as an indicator than nationwide property tax levels in each country."
cjk@fnnews.com Choi Jong-geun Reporter