Despite soaring Dongtan housing prices... Ministry's 'targeted land permit zone' bill fails again

A legislative push to grant the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport direct authority to designate land transaction permit zones has once again stalled in the National Assembly. This failure to pass the bill means that the power to control land sales in rapidly appreciating areas will continue to rest with provincial governors.

The bill, intended to allow the ministry to directly designate specific areas within the same province or city as land transaction permit zones, has been delayed for over four months. This prolonged delay is particularly significant for areas like Dongtan in Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province, where housing prices have recently surged. Without the ministry's direct intervention, land speculation concerns in such hot markets remain unaddressed at the national level.

As of June 18, the bill's progression through the legislative process remains uncertain. The continued delay leaves local governments, especially those experiencing rapid property value increases, without a streamlined mechanism for implementing stricter land transaction controls. The authority remains with the provincial governors, potentially leading to fragmented or slower responses to market fluctuations.