President Lee Jae Myung criticized politicians on social media platform X on February 18 for encouraging multiple home purchases for investment, calling them the "real ills" of society. The remarks responded to main opposition leader Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, who called Lee's recent posts on the real estate market "pathetic" and accused him of stigmatizing multiple home owners. Lee has repeatedly urged such owners to sell their properties before a heavy capital gains tax exemption expires in May.
President Lee Jae Myung made the remarks on social media platform X on February 18, 2026, sharing a news article about Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, leader of the main opposition People Power Party, who had accused Lee of labeling owners of multiple homes as "social ills." In response, Lee wrote, "If we were to truly condemn the social ills, the blame should fall not on the owners of multiple homes who took advantage of the flawed system, but on the politicians who created and implemented such a system."
He added, "Politicians, who should have ensured that undesirable ownership of multiple homes becomes a burden rather than a benefit, not only failed to address unfair privileges but encouraged speculation and even engaged in conflicts of interest by seeking profits from owning multiple homes themselves."
The comments came a day after Jang described a series of Lee's social media posts on the real estate market as "pathetic" and accused him of stigmatizing multiple home owners. Lee has repeatedly urged such owners to sell their properties ahead of the planned expiration of the heavy capital gains tax exemption in May. This reflects his ongoing emphasis on policies to curb speculation and reclaim unfair privileges in the housing sector. Both sources align on these details without contradictions.
