housing market Archives | Be Korea-savvy
Apartments Dominate Seoul Housing Market as Buyers Flee Villas Amid Fraud Fears

Apartments Dominate Seoul Housing Market as Buyers Flee Villas Amid Fraud Fears

SEOUL, July 15 (Korea Bizwire) — Apartment sales in Seoul have surged to a record-high share of the housing market in 2024, as concerns over rental fraud and weakening demand for non-apartment housing deepen a long-standing shift toward high-rise units. According to data released July 14 by South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, [...]

Tightened Loan Curbs Expected To Help Cool Overheated Seoul Housing Market: Experts

Tightened Loan Curbs Expected To Help Cool Overheated Seoul Housing Market: Experts

SEOUL, June 27 (Korea Bizwire) — The financial authorities’ latest measures to restrict ballooning household debt are expected to help cool down the overheated housing market in Seoul’s sought-out areas, experts said Friday. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) announced earlier in the day that all local lenders will be forced to sharply lower their household [...]

Housing Price Polarization Worsens; Additional Supply Outside Capital Undesirable: BOK

Housing Price Polarization Worsens; Additional Supply Outside Capital Undesirable: BOK

SEOUL, June 18 (Korea Bizwire) — Housing prices in Seoul and non-capital regions have diverged further in recent years amid ongoing economic and social changes, and the government is advised to avoid stimulating construction investment through additional housing supply in non-capital areas, the central bank said Wednesday. The gap in cumulative housing price increases between [...]

Real Estate Heats Up Again, Pressuring Lee Administration’s Policy Debut

Real Estate Heats Up Again, Pressuring Lee Administration’s Policy Debut

SEOUL, June 17 (Korea Bizwire) — On a weekday, a real estate agency in Seoul’s Mapo District was juggling multiple phone inquiries from prospective homebuyers but had little to offer, largely due to recent price hikes that encouraged home owners to withdraw their offerings in hope of further increases. “We are getting inquiries from over [...]

South Korea’s Rental Market Sees Record Shift Toward Monthly Leases

South Korea’s Rental Market Sees Record Shift Toward Monthly Leases

SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Korea Bizwire) —  The share of monthly rental contracts in South Korea’s housing market reached a record high in 2024, nearing 60% of all lease agreements, as rising interest rates and concerns over rental fraud (in particular jeonse frauds) accelerated the transition away from traditional lump-sum deposits. According to data from the Supreme [...]

Changing Apartment Preferences: Green Spaces and Comfort Take Priority in Korea’s Housing Market

Changing Apartment Preferences: Green Spaces and Comfort Take Priority in Korea’s Housing Market

SEOUL, July 9 (Korea Bizwire) — The criteria for Koreans choosing an apartment, the most common form of housing in the country, are undergoing a transformation. In the past, the proximity to subway stations, known as ‘Yeokssekwon’ or station areas, was considered an essential factor due to its emphasis on transportation convenience. However, there is [...]

Civic Action Coalition Calls for Higher Tax Rates for Property Owners

Civic Action Coalition Calls for Higher Tax Rates for Property Owners

SEOUL, Oct. 10 (Korea Bizwire) —Various civic groups that claim the problem of land speculation in Korea cannot be overcome without increasing property holding tax have come together to launch a civic action coalition calling for stronger measures. Civic groups such as Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice and Mibyun’s Committee on People’s Livelihood & Economy [...]