The most expensive area in Seoul, South Korea as of December 2024 was ********** with an average apartment selling price of around *** billion South Korean won. The Gangnam area, which includes Gangnam-gu, Seocho-gu, Yongsan-gu, and Songpa-gu, is one of the richest neighborhoods in South Korea. What is Gangnam Style?Gangnam has developed greatly since the 1960s with intensive government investment. It literally means 'south of the Han River' and is one of the busiest entertainment districts including Hongdae and Itaewon. Gangnam is also known as a place where people with a high level of education or wealth live. These backgrounds motivated Psy, the well-known Korean singer, rapper, and songwriter, to write his internationally popular song “Gangnam Style”. Luxury apartments in South KoreaThe average purchasing price of apartments in the country has almost doubled in the last 10 years. Part of the reason for this are the multiple luxury-branded apartment complexes in Seoul. Located in Gangnam-gu in Seoul, The Penthouse Cheongdam was the most expensive, with a transaction amount of around **** billion South Korean won.

In 2024, the Penthouse Cheongdam apartments, located in the Gangnam district of Seoul, were the most expensive in South Korea, with an actual transaction value of around 16.4 billion South Korean won. This price exceeded that of the second-most expensive apartment, creating a price gap of approximately 3.5 billion won. The most expensive area in South Korea Seoul ranks as the most expensive city in South Korea. As of November 2023, the average apartment price in Seoul stood at around 12.6 million won, about three times the national average. According to the housing affordability index, Seoul received the highest score nationwide. Within Seoul, the most expensive area was Gangnam, whose residents are known for their luxurious lifestyle. Increasing mortgage loans Since apartments constitute the majority of housing in South Korea, it is no surprise that most mortgage loans are granted for apartment purchases. Moreover, mortgage loans have steadily increased over the years, indicating a higher financial burden for housing, in line with the high housing affordability index. Despite the high housing prices, a survey revealed that most respondents thought housing prices would fall over the next year. Although this provides a relatively positive outlook for future developments, the current housing situation has left respondents with a negative impression of the current government’s real estate policies.

As of December 2024, the mean purchase price of housing in Seoul, South Korea, amounted to around *** million South Korean won. The average price of detached houses amounted to around **** billion won while the price of apartments was about **** billion South Korean won. Apartments in South Korea Among all housing types, apartments are the most expensive, costing more than *** billion South Korean won on average. Living in apartments is typical for Seoul, as an increasing number of citizens move towards the city, causing high population density. As of 2022, more than ** percent of all households were living in apartments, excluding alternative housing, such as officetels or goshiwons. Gangnam Style Based on the average selling price of apartments in Seoul, Gangnam is the most expensive area in Seoul to live in, with an average sales price of around **** billion South Korean won. The area became internationally known due to the viral YouTube hit Gangnam Style by South Korean artist PSY. Since Gangnam is known for its wealthy citizens, the song was inspired by their mannerisms.

In September 2024, the average purchase price for apartments over 135 square meters in South Korea amounted to around 7.6 million South Korean won per square meter. This was a decrease of almost two million won per square meter from the previous month for apartments of this size.

Apartment price trends In recent years, apartment prices in Korea have experienced a steady rise, driven by factors such as urbanization and economic growth. Seoul, the capital city, documented the highest average apartment price at about 13.4 million won per square meter. The most expensive area to live in Seoul was Gangnam, with an average apartment selling price of around 2.4 billion won. As of 2024, The Penthouse Cheongdam apartment located in Gangnam was considered the most expensive apartment in South Korea. Its transaction value exceeded 16 billion won, setting it apart from the second-most expensive apartment by more than three billion won. Living in luxury Exclusive districts like Gangnam showcase high-end residences with panoramic city views, luxurious designs, and premium facilities. Over the past five years, there has been a notable increase in the share of luxury apartments in Seoul. More than 60 percent of apartments in Seoul with more than one kitchen and room were valued at over 900 million won. According to a survey, Hyundai's "Hillstate" merged as the most preferred brand for apartments, followed by Samsung C&T’s "Raemian" as the second-most popular choice.

As of August 2024, the executive chairman of Samsung Electronics Lee Jae-yong (Jay Y. Lee) was the wealthiest person in South Korea, with a net worth of about 11.5 billion U.S. dollars. His net worth increased from 7.9 billion U.S. dollars from the previous year when he rose from second to first place. Seo Jung-jin, the co-founder of Celltrion, followed with about 7.3 billion dollars. Turbulent times for the wealthy Despite the country's economic recovery from the impact of COVID-19, South Korea’s wealthiest people lost a significant amount of their net worth because of the poorly performing stock market and a weakened currency. Lee Jae-yong overcame the shrinking demand for tech goods and ranked as the wealthiest South Korean, although his net worth the year before was more than one billion dollars higher. The founder of Kakao, Kim Beom-su, had the same net worth as Lee Jae-yong in 2022. However, he only placed fourth in 2023, losing more than four billion dollars in net worth within the year. In October 2022, Kakao faced public outrage and criticism because of a service outage. Conglomerates’ dominating position in the South Korean economy   Although the collective wealth of the 50 wealthiest people in South Korea fell by about 18 percent, conglomerates dominated the market. Samsung Electronics had the highest market capitalization among business groups listed in South Korea, amounting to about 474 trillion South Korean won. The position of the largest businesses represented a significant hurdle for start-ups. South Korea had a low survival rate for new companies compared to the OECD average, discouraging the emergence of new businesses. When asked about the most critical challenges, small- and medium-sized business owners answered that increasing revenue and attracting customers were the most difficult.

In December 2024, the average price of an apartment purchase in South Korea was around 5.7 million South Korean won per square meter. The apartment price was highest in Seoul with about 13.5 million won per square meter, almost twice as much as following the province of Gyeonggi with around 6.6 million won per square meter.

The centrality of Seoul Boasting a population of over nine million people and accounting for a large part of the country’s GDP, the capital city is both economically attractive and notoriously expensive in terms of housing. Going by mean apartment selling prices, Seoul’s southern and southeastern districts of Gangnam and Seocho rank the highest. Changing trends For a society which traditionally expected for its younger generations to care for their elders, these norms began to soften up in the country. The first two decades of the century saw the share of one-person households more than double. As the principal age groups that reside in such households are younger people, the country is expected to continue building housing units in the future.

In December 2024, South Koreans in their thirties were the most active age group in the apartment sales market in Seoul, South Korea. In Seoul, in where expensive apartments are concentrated, it was traditionally believed that older age groups would have stronger purchasing power.

In 2024, there were just over *********** housing transactions in South Korea, up from about the ******* seen in the two years prior. The number of housing transactions in South Korea has notably decreased since 2020. Housing in South Korea There are around ** million housing units and counting for the more than ** million people living in South Korea. Given the mountainous topography of the peninsula and the imbalance in population density between urban and rural areas, there is limited space for constructing houses. Apartments make up most of the housing in the country as they allow for the vertical stacking of housing units. Housing outside of Seoul Detached houses have become more expensive over the years as people want space in Seoul and the surrounding areas. Many people who can afford to commute have purchased houses in the South Korean province of Gyeonggi, which is just outside the Seoul metropolitan area. The island of Jeju, below the southern coast, is also a popular holiday and retirement destination. Far less dense than the capital, detached houses constitute the highest number of housing units on the island.

In Seoul, luxury home prices surged by over **** percent between December 2023 and December 2024, making it the fastest growing luxury real estate market worldwide. In the United States, Orange County was the market where prices rose the most during that period. Manila was the Asia-Pacific (APAC) city that experienced the most price growth in the luxury market, amounting to **** percent.

n 2023, Chanel had the highest sales revenue among luxury brands in South Korea at around 1.7 trillion South Korean won. Chanel was also the most well-known global high-end brand among South Korean consumers. Despite other brands, such as Gucci and Prada, also being known to consumers, only Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior managed to exceed the one trillion won mark in sales in 2023. Luxury sales in department stores Luxury stores have their own prestigious stores in the retail market in South Korea, especially in Seoul. Luxury brand sales were a vital part of department store sales, hovering around a third of all sales in the last three years. The image of high-end brand items matches the belief of department stores being high-class or premium held by many consumers. Luxury shopping behavior Many South Korean consumers pay great attention to appearances, and flaunting fashion items is rather common. Luxury goods are therefore often bought for that purpose, but for some, these goods are also an investment. According to a survey in conducted in July 2024, around 45 percent of South Koreans purchased high-end brand articles in the last year, showing a level of openness among consumers to such products.

The statistic shows the unemployment rate in South Korea from 2020 to 2023, with projections up until 2030. In 2023, the unemployment rate in South Korea was at around 2.71 percent. See the figures for the population of South Korea for comparison. Economy of South Korea South Korea is one of the world’s richest countries as well as a member of the G20, an organization made up of the 20 strongest economies in the world. Due to excessive growth from the 1960s to the 1990s, South Korea established itself as a developed country in the world with a strong economy and high wages. Continued economic growth is attributed to a robust export-oriented economy, which was deemed necessary for the country particularly due to a scarcity in natural resources as well as overpopulation in comparison to available living space. During the global financial crisis, South Korea surprised many economists by maintaining a stable economy and even experiencing economic growth, most notably during the peak of the crisis. Through stimulus packages as well as a high level of consumption, South Korea’s strong export-oriented economy was not affected as negatively as many other developed countries. South Korea’s economy primarily revolves around the production and export of technological goods. Some primary exports of the country include electronics, ships and automobiles. South Korea also has some of the largest shipbuilding companies worldwide, which are highly profitable but also have accumulated a rather large sum of debt over the course of several years.

In 2024, sales of luxury brands accounted for around 33 percent of total sales made by department stores in South Korea. It was followed by the food sector and the household item. Represented by Lotte, Hyundai, and Shinsegae, department stores took up about 17 percent of the total retail sector in the country. The department store triangle Lotte, Shinsegae, and Hyundai are the leading department store brands in South Korea and are well perceived by local customers. All three consistently rank among the most frequently visited department stores and run a large share of such stores in the country. With their parent companies being some of the biggest South Korean conglomerates, these brands are highly recognizable to consumers. Luxury goods on the rise Illustrated by a sizeable growth of the industry’s market, luxury items have become increasingly popular among South Koreans, as they are purchased by a fair share of consumers. As a country boasting an affluent and highly materialistic society with an affinity for wealth, South Korea represents an ideal market for the industry. Today, South Koreans are some of the highest per capita spenders on luxury goods globally. In view of these developments, said goods have become a major source of attraction for department store chains and have recorded a rising share in overall sales in such stores.