Concentration in Seoul & Gyeonggi…High-End Buildings Clustered

Nationwide Volume & Value Dive

According to real estate big-data firm RealPlanet, May 2025 saw just 1,137 commercial & office building trades nationwide—a 16.0% drop from April. Total transaction value plunged 44.6%, from KRW 3.73 trillion to KRW 2.06 trillion. Among Korea’s 17 provinces, 12 saw declines in trade volume and 11 in value. Sejong recorded zero trades, while Incheon (–45.5%) and Seoul (–31.6%) also tumbled, indicating the recent market rebound has stalled.

Regional Polarization…Sejong Zero Trades, Jeju –65.7%

Excluding Sejong’s zero trades, Seoul recorded 156 deals (-31.6%) and Incheon 36 deals (-45.5%) in May. Transaction value plunged 63.7% in Seoul and 61.3% in Incheon. Jeju saw 119 trades, a –65.7% collapse—the steepest drop nationwide. Conversely, Daegu, Gwangju, Chungbuk, and Ulsan bucked the trend with increases in both volume and value. At district level, Cheongju (29 deals), Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, Gimpo, and Jeonju saw notable activity. 사무실 임대 사이트

High-End Deals Collapse…Only 3 over KRW 30B

Low–end trades dominated—63.5% of deals were under KRW 1B. High-end trades (over KRW 30B) plunged 72.7%, from 11 deals in April to just 3 in May: two in Seoul and one in Gyeonggi. The single largest transaction was the Shilla Stay Mapo building in Seoul, fetching KRW 143B. Even premium deals remain confined to the Seoul–Gyeonggi axis, leaving no high-end market activity in other regions.

Skyline Investment…67% in Seoul & Gyeonggi

RealPlanet CEO Jung Soo-min notes, “About 67% of total transaction value is concentrated in Seoul and Gyeonggi,” reflecting a selective investment trend in prime locations. Indeed, the top five by trade value are all in the metro area: Mapo (KRW 202.3B), Gangnam (KRW 165B), Seongnam (KRW 108.9B), Seocho and Yongsan follow. Regional markets remain significantly muted, underscoring a capital-centric investor bias. cafe boom