Public Rental Housing Supply Ratio in Sejong Is 3,000 Times That of Seoul
The fulfillment rate of public rental housing supply—national rental housing offered at affordable monthly rents to young workers and newlywed couples—exceeded 10,000% in Sejong, while staying at a mere 3% in Seoul, starkly exposing the gap in supply between regions.
According to data from the Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) submitted to Rep. Yoo Sang-bum of the ruling People Power Party on the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee on the 9th, titled "2026 Construction Rental Housing Supply (Move-in Available) Units and Waiting List Status," Sejong had only six applicants this year against a supply of 622 units, recording a fulfillment rate of 10,366.7%. In contrast, Seoul had 348 applicants but only 12 units (3.45%); Incheon had 2,908 applicants against 187 units (6.43%); and Jeju had 1,294 applicants against just 26 units (2.01%).
For permanent rental housing, which targets top-priority protection groups such as basic livelihood security recipients, Seoul had 1,014 applicants but only four units available this year (0.39%), a fulfillment rate below 1%. Gangwon had 934 applicants against 21 units (2.25%), Daegu 1,161 against 42 (3.62%), and Gwangju–South Jeolla 1,408 against 106 (7.53%), with fulfillment rates remaining in the single digits across most major cities and provinces.
This regional imbalance in supply is cited as a cause of long waiting times for public rental housing. According to LH's waiting list data by rental complex, the longest wait for the Incheon Mansu 7 permanent rental complex stood at 177.6 months—14 years and 10 months. Long-term waits of more than 10 years have also occurred at the Bucheon Jungdong (130.4 months) and Seogwipo Donghong 3 (133.1 months) complexes.
Rep. Yoo said, "The distorted supply system must be corrected by closely reflecting regional waiting list conditions and on-the-ground demand, and effective measures to shorten waiting periods should be prepared without delay."
