Government legislation ministry says local governments may extend official housing to non-civil servants

The Ministry of Government Legislation said that local governments may expand the use of official housing to include employees who do not hold civil servant status. The interpretation clarifies that municipalities can enact ordinances permitting access to properties designated as public-use assets under the Act on the Management and Disposal of Public Property.

The ruling, issued in response to an inquiry from Gyeonggi Province's Local Autonomy Bureau, concluded that restricting official residences solely to civil servants contradicts the purpose of supporting individuals performing administrative duties. The ministry noted that the definition of public-use property focuses on the nature of the work rather than employment status, covering fixed-term and dispatched workers often serving in remote areas with poor living conditions.

Managing shared property falls under the autonomous affairs of local governments as defined by the Local Autonomy Act. Since expanding housing eligibility does not restrict resident rights or impose new obligations, municipalities possess broad legislative discretion to regulate these matters through local ordinances. The ministry stated that nothing in the Shared Property Act prohibits extending usage to non-civil servant staff, aligning with modern administrative environments where diverse employment forms handle public tasks previously done only by civil servants.

This interpretation serves as a final government authority on legal execution, resolving potential conflicts between administrative agencies or between citizens and central bodies. The case, numbered 26-0345, reinforces the Ministry of Government Legislation's priority of delivering practical legal innovations that directly impact citizens' lives.