Seoul: Hong Jee-sun, a seasoned government official with a rich background in urban housing and transportation policy, has been appointed as South Korea's new land minister. At 56, Hong brings a wealth of experience to the position, having studied civil engineering at Hanyang University in Seoul and furthering his education with a master's degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Birmingham in Britain.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Hong's career in civil service began after he passed the national civil service exam in 1996. His career trajectory has seen him occupy several pivotal roles in urban housing, construction, and transportation policy within the Gyeonggi Provincial Government. Notably, he collaborated with then-Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae Myung, now the President of South Korea, where he was instrumental in spearheading the province's housing policy and urban planning.

In December of the previous year, Hong was appointed as the vice land minister, during which he was responsible for overseeing the nation's transportation and construction policies. His extensive experience in formulating and implementing land, infrastructure, and transportation policies at metropolitan-level local governments in the greater Seoul area has been widely recognized.

As the new land minister, Hong Jee-sun is anticipated to advance the government's housing policies, focusing on stabilizing housing prices and expanding the housing supply to meet growing demands.