벼랑 끝에 선 청년들, 전세사기 피해 4만 명 시대의 그늘과 공공의 응답 > K-wave Trends

Since the implementation of the Special Act for the Support of Jeonse Fraud Victims, the committee has been continuously reviewing cases to identify victims and expand the safety net. With over 600 additional cases recognized in the month of May alone, the cumulative number of victims has surpassed 39,000. In this process, the committee is carefully re-examining eligibility requirements through appeals, not only for new applications but also for cases that were previously rejected. However, not all victims are eligible for relief; many are excluded due to failing to meet requirements or because they are able to recover their deposits through guarantee insurance. The government is managing this complex review process transparently and keeping the re-examination system open so that victims whose circumstances have changed can knock on the door again at any time.

This analysis of the current damage status reveals the stark reality of Jeonse fraud in our society. 97.6% of victims, the vast majority, were living in affordable housing with deposits of 300 million won or less, with damage concentrated particularly in the 100 million to 200 million won deposit range. Geographically, over 60% of the damage is concentrated in the Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon metropolitan areas, with serious damage also occurring in major provincial cities like Daejeon and Busan. By housing type, the damage occurred frequently in multi-family houses, officetels, and multi-household houses—housing types preferred by young single-person households. This proves that it is not merely a matter of individual carelessness, but that the aspirations of young people trying to climb the housing ladder have become targets for crime.

The damaged property purchase project currently being promoted by LH to stabilize the housing of victims is achieving visible results. As of the end of May, the number of purchases exceeded 9,000 units, and the project has entered a "speed war," purchasing over 800 units per month this year. The background to the drastically improved purchase procedures compared to the past is the "Fast Track" introduced by the government and LH. By unifying the preliminary consultation and purchase request procedures and clearly setting deadlines for each stage, they are striving to reduce the suffering victims experience during the auction process. Working closely with district courts to expedite auctions is also a key pillar of this housing stability support.

LH's purchase of damaged properties differs in nature and purpose from general public rental projects. While general purchase rental is a policy to increase housing supply in city centers, the purchase of damaged properties focuses on guaranteeing the continued residency of tenants pushed to the edge and recovering their losses. By transferring the right of first refusal to LH, victims can use the auction profit to stay in their existing homes stably for up to 10 years. Even if they choose to move, the fact that they can receive the auction profit to minimize asset loss is evaluated as a practical recovery measure. The core of the current policy is for the public sector to act as a solid pillar for victims, helping them navigate the rough waves of the auction process together.

On the other hand, some critics argue that while the government's response is in the right direction, it falls short of fundamental structural reform. Some civic groups point out that while housing supply measures and victim relief were timely, there is a lack of plans to reform LH's organizational structure or strengthen its public nature, which could have allowed or encouraged the Jeonse fraud situation. Strengthening deposit regulations and thorough management and supervision of Jeonse loans and guarantee insurance remain tasks to be addressed. Beyond simple post-incident management, it is urgent to build an institutional safety net that increases the transparency of the housing market so that such housing crimes are never repeated.