외국인 아파트 취득↑…여당 "실거주 않으면 중과세" 입법 추진<br /><br />One of the South Korean government's top priorities right now is to cool down the country's overheated real estate market.<br />As part of that, the ruling Democratic Party has proposed higher taxes on foreigners who own multiple homes in Korea that they don't live in.<br />Kim Dami reports.<br />Heftier taxes on foreigners who own multiple homes that they don't live in.<br />That's what South Korea's ruling Democratic Party has proposed... to stop them from speculating in the local market.<br />On Wednesday, the party suggested an additional tax of 20 percent on homes owned by foreigners who don't live in them for six months.<br />Other options being considered are heftier capital gains taxes and property taxes.<br />Currently, some real estate regulations do not apply to foreign homeowners.<br />In other countries, New Zealand bans non-residents from buying real estate, and Singapore has a surcharge for foreigners.<br />South Korea's tax authorities earlier on Monday launched investigations of 42 foreigners who own multiple homes.<br />The NTS plans to collect taxes they have evaded and send data on their tax evasion to the tax authorities in their home countries.<br />According to the National Tax Service, one-thousand-36 foreigners bought two or more homes between 2017 and this May.<br />And almost one third of the 23-thousand homes owned by foreigners in the country were not occupied by the owner.<br />Most of those homes were located in the Seoul metropolitan area.<br />As home prices reach levels unattainable for many people, the government has been cracking down on the speculative buying of multiple homes by foreigners and locals alike.<br />On Tuesday, the National Assembly hiked taxes on anyone owning multiple homes, especially in speculative areas.<br />Kim Dami, Arirang News.<br />
