New rental support plan prioritizes married, childrearing families

At the Cabinet's weekly meeting Thursday, Premier Cho Jung-tai received a Ministry of the Interior (MOI) briefing on a plan to provide further rental housing assistance to young, married couples raising children. The premier noted that the government has been advancing its national child care policy 2.0 for ages 0-6 in response to declining birth rates. Building on that effort, the new plan will support married households with children by giving them higher priority for social housing, increasing rent allowances, expanding eligibility criteria and introducing additional items of financial assistance-all with the aim of fostering a friendlier environment for marriage and childrearing.

To stabilize long-term rental relationships, ensure reasonable rental rates for lease renewals and enhance legal protections for both tenants and landlords, Premier Cho directed the MOI to study and propose amendments to the Rental Housing Market Development and Regulation Act, with the goal of promoting the healthy development of the rental housing market. He further instructed the Public Construction Commission and the MOI to intensify efforts to explore how the government can expand social housing, emphasizing cooperation with the private sector to meet the needs of the public.