South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has declared an end to the era of profiting from illegal real estate speculation, following a report that authorities have cracked down on 3,565 individuals in the past year. The announcement, made as the police announced a third crackdown, comes one year after the start of a special investigation into real estate crimes.
President Lee shared the results of the National Police Agency’s special crackdown on his social media, stating, Soon, the third crackdown will also begin. If there is any illegality, I urge you to correct it now. The era of making money through illegal, illegal, and criminal real estate speculation must end, right?
This marks the second time the president has publicly shared the results of the investigation, having previously emphasized the need to root out harmful real estate crimes that ruin the country
in March.
Police Detail Year-Long Crackdown
The National Police Agency reported that from October 17, 2025, to October 31, 2026, a total of 3,565 individuals were apprehended in two special crackdowns on real estate crimes. Of those, 2,151 were referred to the prosecution, and 16 were arrested. The remaining 714 were not referred for prosecution, while 700 are still under investigation.
The crackdown began as a follow-up measure to the October 15, 2025, housing market stabilization policy. In the first special crackdown, 1,493 individuals were apprehended, with 640 referred to the prosecution. The second crackdown, running from March 16 to the end of October, continued the investigation into actions that disrupt the real estate market or generate profits through illegal means.
Illegal Land Speculation Leads Crime Types
The most common type of crime identified was illegal land speculation, involving 898 individuals, accounting for 25.2% of all cases. This was followed by illegal supply order disruption, such as false applications for public housing, which affected 795 people (22.3%), and illegal brokerage activities aimed at inflating property prices, which caught 726 individuals (20.4%).
Other crimes included illegal nominee transactions and unregistered resales (616 people, 17.3%), corruption related to rebuilding projects (353 people, 9.9%), planned real estate schemes (169 people, 4.7%), and insider information trading (8 people, 0.2%).
President Lee concluded his remarks by reiterating the government’s stance, The era of making money through illegal, illegal, and criminal real estate speculation must end.
The agency has announced that a third special crackdown is imminent.
