Eight out of every 10 non-apartment home sales in South Korea meet the eligibility terms of a new government mortgage program for young adults, according to an analysis of transaction data.
Dabang, a real estate information platform, analyzed Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) records of actual transaction prices for non-apartment housing — low-rise multi-unit housing and officetels, studio units used as either homes or offices — from January through July of 2025 and 2026. Of the 87,557 sales closed nationwide this year, 69,936 involved homes of 85 square meters or less priced at 400 million won or below, or about 80% of all deals. In Seoul, 21,695 of 33,539 non-apartment sales, or about 65%, fell within the same size and price range.
The two housing types diverged sharply. Low-rise multi-unit sales nationwide totaled 62,013 in the first seven months of this year, up 8,336 from 53,677 a year earlier. Deals within the 85-square-meter and 400-million-won range rose 4,278 to 48,954 from 44,676. Officetel sales nationwide edged up 1,008 to 25,544 from 24,536 over the same period, but deals within that range fell 513 to 20,982 from 21,495.
The pattern held in Seoul. Low-rise multi-unit sales in the capital reached 25,681 in the January-July period, up 5,443 from 20,238 a year earlier, while deals of 85 square meters or less priced at 400 million won or below climbed 2,072 to 15,668 from 13,596. Officetel sales in Seoul, by contrast, dropped 206 to 7,858 from 8,064, and deals within that range fell 813 to 6,027 from 6,840.
"In both the nationwide and Seoul markets, deals of 85 square meters or less priced at 400 million won or below account for more than half of non-apartment sales," a Dabang official said. "It remains to be seen how the launch of the youth mortgage program will affect owner-occupier demand and transaction trends for non-apartment housing."
