It was confirmed that Kim Sang-jo, the head of the Blue House Policy Office, signed a contract to raise the deposit for rent by 14% for his own apartment in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, just before the enforcement of the 3rd Lease Act, which limited the rent increase to 5%.
Mr. Kim owns an apartment in Cheongdam-dong under the joint name of a couple, and when he signed a renewal contract with a tenant on July 29 last year, he raised the existing jeon tax from 850 million won to 970 million won.
At the plenary session on July 30 last year, the National Assembly handled the three lease laws, including the revised bill of the Housing Lease Protection Act, which introduced the right to apply for contract renewal and the whole-month limit system. If the contract was renewed, Mr. Kim could not receive a 14% increase in the jeonse.
Mr. Kim explained that in order to raise the deposit for the rented house where he currently lives, he received a deposit for rent from the tenant of the apartment in Cheongdam-dong.
Kim added that the house that gave the jeonse and the house where he currently lives was in a much cheaper state than the market price.
(Photo = Yonhap News)