Land, infrastructure and transport minister Won Hee-ryong said on Wednesday that the government cannot provide direct financial support for the victims of home rental scams. 

The minister told reporters that the government can't just provide direct support for the victims of rental scams and those who failed to get their jeonse deposits back from the plunge in housing prices, not from intentional scam. The minister stressed that the government's such stance will not change. 

The remarks came as rival parties remain at odds over a special bill aimed at supporting victims of home rental scams. 

Minister Won said that it's a pan-government agreement that no government should enact legislation that allows such direct state support.

He said that the government is trying to figure out how to distinguish between rental scam and failure to return the deposits as well as ways to draw the most reasonable and fair conclusion on the matter.