President vows to review policies that discourage young people from marrying
President Lee Jae Myung said the government will review 22 policy areas, including housing loans and taxes, that may cause young people to avoid marriage or create disadvantages for those who have already wed.
President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the Blue House in cental Seoul on Aug. 4.
JOINT PRESS CORPS
President Lee Jae Myung said Saturday that the government would work to remove policy hurdles that can discourage young people from getting married, saying marriage should be “a hopeful new beginning, not a burden.”
“Young people should never hesitate to get married because of government policies,” Lee wrote on X. “I have instructed officials to thoroughly examine and report on disadvantages people may face under current policies because they are married.”
Lee first raised the issue in February during a meeting with senior advisers, after being briefed on cases in which married people can receive less favorable treatment than single people in areas such as housing loans and subscriptions. He called for such cases to be identified and addressed.
The president said Saturday that the government had gathered opinions through youth forums, real estate discussions and reviews by relevant ministries. The process identified 22 areas for improvement that directly affect housing and wealth building, including loans, housing applications and taxes, he said.
The proposals include easing income requirements for government-backed home purchase and rental deposit loans, expanding income limits for dual-income couples applying for special loans for families with newborns and easing eligibility requirements for newlywed housing programs.
Other proposals would allow married couples who own two small homes to apply for certain public housing programs, expand exemptions from higher acquisition taxes for married couples who own two homes and improve tax deductions related to marriage.
“I will carefully examine each issue to determine whether changes are needed and whether the measures will be fair and provide meaningful help to everyone,” Lee said.
BY KIM JI-HYE [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
