The government is set to embark on comprehensive renovations to solve the vacant house issue by significantly increasing the budget and establishing a collaborative system involving central, local, and private entities.
The Ministry of Interior and Safety announced on the 25th that it has confirmed this year’s budget for supporting the demolition of vacant houses nationwide at 10 billion won. This is double the amount from last year, which was 5 billion won, and is part of efforts to drive a more systematic vacant house renovation project.
Since last year, the government has been implementing a program supporting the demolition of vacant houses in cooperation with local governments. As a result, a total of 841 vacant houses were demolished in 11 cities and provinces across 39 cities, counties, and districts throughout 2024. This year, the target areas will be expanded to 16 cities and provinces, with a goal to demolish a total of 1,500 vacant houses.
From this year, for a more systematic vacant house renovation, four ministries including the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will jointly operate a ‘Vacant House Renovation Support Team’. This will allow for a more accurate understanding of the nationwide vacant house situation and enable integrated policy implementation.
Currently, the systems related to vacant house renovations are managed under different laws for urban and rural areas, making it difficult to understand the nationwide situation and establish comprehensive policies. To address this, the government has been working to improve the system since establishing a joint ministerial vacant house renovation support team last September, and conducted a nationwide survey of vacant houses from October to December.
The survey revealed that as of 2024, there were approximately 134,000 vacant houses nationwide. The government plans to use this data to drive the vacant house renovation projects, while also improving related systems and linking them with projects from other ministries to establish more effective renovation measures.
The government is enhancing cooperation between central ministries, local governments, and private experts by forming and operating a consultative body for effective vacant house renovations.
On January 23rd, the first Central Council meeting was held to share vacant house renovation plans among related ministries and discuss policy directions. Following this, the first Local Council meeting was held on February 5th to check the status of vacant house renovations by local governments and listen to the difficulties faced in the field.
Through these councils, the government plans to incorporate the collected opinions and establish a comprehensive government plan for vacant house renovations in the first half of the year.
The Ministry of Interior and Safety holds that the vacant house issue requires long-term solutions due to demographic changes linked to low birth rates and aging populations.
Kim Min-jae, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Interior and Safety, stated, “The vacant house issue is a complex problem of modern society that no single ministry or local government can solve alone, particularly in light of the significant demographic changes due to low birth rates and aging populations. We will cooperate with related ministries, local governments, and private experts to implement effective vacant house renovation policies and actively improve related systems.”
The government is also pursuing plans to transform cleared spaces from the vacant house renovation projects into facilities that local residents can use, such as parking lots and parks. It is expected that this initiative will lead to more structured nationwide vacant house renovations.