Rural Empty Houses Can Be Utilized Through Rental and Agreement Without Purchasing

A legislative amendment is being pursued to actively utilize vacant houses in rural areas through rental or agreements, even without purchasing them. On the 7th, Seo Cheon-ho, a People Power Party member (Sacheon, Namhae, and Hadong, Gyeongnam), announced that he has proposed a representative bill to amend the Rural Community Improvement Act, which would allow local governments and the Korea Rural Community Corporation to rent or enter into agreements with owners to utilize vacant houses. The current law stipulates that local governments or rural community organizations purchase vacant houses in rural areas and use them as rental housing or dormitories for foreign workers. However, in practice, house owners are often reluctant to sell due to tax burdens or inheritance issues, and local governments face difficulties in purchasing houses due to budget constraints and administrative procedures. According to surveys by local governments as of 2023, the number of vacant houses in rural ...