Anchor: President Lee Jae Myung has started the Lunar New Year holiday by continuing his social media campaign against real estate speculation. In a social media post issued around 1:40 a.m. Monday, the president called for an end to the tax benefits that multi-homeowners currently enjoy and asked the main opposition to clarify its position on the matter. The People Power Party says Lee is engaging in divisive politics. 
Kim Bum-soo has more. 

Report: President Lee Jae Myung continues to pressure owners of multiple homes to liquidate their properties.

In a social media post issued in the wee hours on the eve of Lunar New Year’s Day, Lee argued that it is only common sense to remove the unfair privilege that multi-homeowners have in terms of taxation, finance and regulation.

While blaming landlords for “hoarding” properties and thereby causing purchase and rental prices to rise, the president also targeted the main opposition People Power Party, rhetorically asking if it wants multi-homeowners to maintain their current level of privilege.  

He added that it was a question he’d hoped to ask the main opposition chief, Jang Dong-hyeok, during a meeting Jang canceled last week to protest the ruling party’s judiciary reform bills.

The People Power Party responded to Lee’s social media post in a statement later on Monday, saying the president has vilified owners of multiple homes and is now misrepresenting the party’s position. 

While stressing that it is also determined to root out real estate speculation, the conservative opposition stated that it cannot agree with Lee's characterization of multi-homeowners as social evil.

The opposition also said Lee is engaging in divisive politics to evade criticism for his government’s failed real estate policies. 

Since last month, Lee has repeatedly used social media to emphasize his intention to curtail speculation in the housing market. 

Despite the Lee administration’s pledges to control the rising cost of housing in the capital region, home prices in Seoul are currently experiencing a sustained rally, with apartments having grown more expensive for 54 consecutive weeks as of early February, according to the Korea Real Estate Board under the land ministry.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.