Tehran, 27 August 2025 – A specialized seminar on “South Korea’s Experience in Public Rental Housing” was held at the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, initiated by the UN-Habitat Tehran Office in Cooperation with the National Habitat Committee, the Deputy for Housing and Building and the Embassy of Republic of Korea in Tehran. The seminar was part of UN-Habitat’s ongoing efforts to support the Ministry’s exploration of rental housing as a recent approach under consideration for advancing public housing in I.R. Iran.

The event commenced with opening remarks by His Excellency Habibullah Taherkhani the Deputy Minister of Housing and His Excellency Kim Junpyo the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mr. Behrooz Malaki, Adivsor to the minister and Mr. Afshin Kalantari, the Officer in Charge of UN-Habitat Iran office.

During the seminar, bringing together senior Iranian officials and a high-level South Korean delegation, the seminar facilitated dialogue on professional rental housing systems and policy innovations aimed at expanding access to affordable housing for low-income groups.

The exchange was held in alignment with new UN-Habitat Strategic Plan and a key policy area within the Iranian National Urban Policy (NUP) to promote adequate housing for all.

Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, the National Habitat Committee, UN-Habitat Tehran Office, South Korea’s Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and senior officials from the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) alongside private companies and representatives from Iranian corresponding media.

The South Korean delegation presented a comprehensive overview of their six-decade journey in developing a professional rental housing system. Key features included long-term support for low-income households, progressive rental pricing, capped rent increases, and mechanisms for private sector engagement. Special schemes tailored for youth and newlyweds were also highlighted, demonstrating the flexibility of Korea’s model in addressing diverse demographic needs.

Iranian officials emphasized the importance of contextualizing international best practices, noting that Korea’s stable economic conditions and institutional frameworks have played a critical role in sustaining rental housing policies. The seminar concluded with a shared commitment to deepen cooperation and adapt successful global experiences to enhance Iran’s housing strategies.