SEJONG, Feb. 16 (Korea Bizwire) – Residents of Seoul moved out of the capital city last year in the largest number in 19 years, national statistics showed Thursday, apparently driven out by costly housing and lack of jobs. The yearly tally released by Statistics Korea showed 140,000 people moved out of Seoul, the highest number [...]
SEJONG, Feb. 14 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s home transactions dropped more than 6 percent from a year earlier last month, government data showed Tuesday, as investors stayed cautious amid growing uncertainties at home and abroad. The number of home transactions came to 58,539 in January, down 6.1 percent from the same month in 2016, [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Korea Bizwire) – A rise in home prices tended to lower the birthrate, a trend that existed regardless of whether the economy was good or bad, a report from a local institute said Wednesday. The Korea Institute of Child Care and Education followed the changes in home prices and their correlation to [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Korea Bizwire) – The growth of mortgage loans in South Korea markedly slowed last month amid indications of interest rate hikes and a downturn in the real estate market, data showed Wednesday. Outstanding home-backed loans extended by six major banks here – KB Koomin, Shinhan, Woori, KEB Hana, NH and the Industrial [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 22 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korean mortgage rates gained considerably in November from the previous month due to rising market interest ahead of a U.S. rate hike, data showed Thursday. Annual mortgage rates charged by South Korea’s top five lenders — KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank, Woori Bank, KEB Hana Bank and NH [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — The ratio of South Korean savings banks’ loans extended to households hit a record amid shrinking corporate investment, data showed Sunday. Their outstanding loans totaled 41.1 trillion won (US$34.9 billion) as of end-September, up 15.77 percent from the end of last year, according to the Bank of Korea’s economic [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 25 (Korea Bizwire) – Korea is seeing a rising number of studio apartments built with “smart” features based on IoT, with the growing popularity of smart homes. According to construction industry watchers, these IoT-equipped efficiency apartments, also referred to as officetels in Korea, are particularly popular among members of the younger generation in their [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea will control the supply of new apartments in a bid to curb demand for mortgage loans, the main culprit for soaring household debt in Asia’s fourth-largest economy, government officials announced Thursday. Household credit jumped 11.1 percent on-year to an all-time high of 1,257.3 trillion won (US$1,123.5 billion) [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Korea Bizwire) – Nearly half of new apartment units in Seoul are smaller than 60 square meters, industry data showed Monday, reflecting the trend that more people prefer smaller housing. Of 15,980 apartment complexes built between January and August of this year, 45.1 percent, or 7,205 units, have a total floor area [...]
SEJONG, July 26 (Korea Bizwire) – The number of South Koreans changing their residences dropped nearly 13 percent on-year in June as the housing market showed signs of slowing, the state statistics agency said Tuesday. A total of 567,000 South Koreans changed their residences in June, down 83,000, or 12.8 percent, from a year earlier, [...]