Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik briefs reporters at Cheong Wa Dae's Chunchugwan press hall Monday on the results of a mega-project public-private joint inspection meeting held that morning. [Yonhap]
Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik briefs reporters at Cheong Wa Dae's Chunchugwan press hall Monday on the results of a mega-project public-private joint inspection meeting held that morning. [Yonhap]

Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik said Monday that the exploitation of the special housing supply system — designed to support the residential stability of people with disabilities — by an organized criminal network was "an extremely serious problem," citing a recently uncovered case in which a group of brokers illegally obtained apartment pre-sales by borrowing the identities of hearing-impaired individuals.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong conveyed Kang's remarks in a written briefing, saying Cheong Wa Dae had held a senior secretary meeting chaired by Kang that day.

According to Ahn, the broker ring had secured a total of 30 apartments in areas including Gangnam, Seoul, with a combined pre-sale value of 20.8 billion won ($13.5 million).

Ahn said Kang also stressed that a joint ministerial inspection launched in May had uncovered similar illegal practices in the special supply program for veterans, and that a comprehensive review and reform of the entire special supply system was therefore necessary.

Kang directed the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Office for Government Policy Coordination and the Korean National Police Agency, along with other relevant ministries, to more thoroughly investigate illegal acts such as the forgery of real estate subscription eligibility, and to take strict measures — including canceling subscriptions and pursuing criminal penalties — against confirmed violations in order to establish fairness in the special supply system.

Kang also noted that some hearing-impaired individuals had been used in the scheme without fully understanding what they were participating in, and called on authorities to strengthen guidance so that eligible recipients — including people with disabilities and veterans — could fully understand the purpose of the system. He further urged ministries to develop institutional reforms that would fundamentally block attempts to lend one's name or enter into proxy contracts through brokers.

The senior secretary meeting also raised concerns about minors being able to easily purchase e-cigarettes at unstaffed stores using forged or altered identification.

Kang said the current adult verification systems were failing to function properly, undermining the effectiveness of laws designed to protect minors. He called on the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Korean National Police Agency and other relevant agencies to promptly inspect the sales of e-cigarettes and other substances harmful to minors, take necessary administrative action, and work with the Ministry of Interior and Safety and other relevant bodies to improve the adult verification framework — putting in place effective measures to prevent minors from purchasing e-cigarettes and similar harmful products.

Kang also addressed a string of safety accidents at rivers, valleys, beaches and theme parks amid an early onset of summer heat. Despite the government's preemptive response — including deploying safety personnel every weekend since June 12 under special peak-season measures — water-related fatalities this summer had already reached 18, a level comparable to last year, he said.

"This means the earlier-than-usual heat has also brought danger forward," he said, urging the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Korea Coast Guard and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to work across agency lines to leave no blind spots in water safety.

Kang went on to say that during the special measures period, authorities should separately identify high-risk locations where fatal accidents have repeatedly occurred, reinforce safety personnel deployment and access controls there, and swiftly draw up and implement extraordinary measures — including incorporating water safety accident reduction into performance evaluations by sector.

"Protecting the lives of the public during summer is a duty of the government," Kang said. "Not a single tragic death should occur — and this is what President Lee Jae Myung means by 'a government that saves lives.'"


moone@heraldcorp.com