Dongtan rises 0.60% in a week, leading the metropolitan area; unregulated zone status amplifies gains as record chipmaker bonuses flow in; Gangnam, Seocho, Seongdong and Dongdaemun also widen increases

Apartment complexes near Dongtan Lake Park in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. [Herald DB]
Apartment complexes near Dongtan Lake Park in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. [Herald DB]

A 99-square-meter unit at Dongtan Yeok Sibeom Bando Ubora i-Park 1.0 in Cheongye-dong, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, sold for 1.3 billion won (about $850,000) on May 20, setting a new record for the complex. The same unit type had changed hands for 1.12 billion won on March 26 — meaning prices climbed nearly 200 million won in just two months.

A nearby 84-square-meter unit at Dongtan 2 Central Prugio crossed the 1 billion won mark for the first time, with a contract signed at 1.018 billion won on May 16.

Apartment prices in Dongtan, Hwaseong — known as a "shuttle-bus zone" for the semiconductor industry, given its proximity to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix campuses — rose 0.60% this week, the highest gain in the Greater Seoul metropolitan area. Record bonuses paid to employees at the two chipmakers amid a semiconductor boom, combined with the area's status as an unregulated zone, are driving the acceleration.

According to the Korea Real Estate Board's weekly apartment price survey for the first week of June 2026 (based on June 1 figures), released Thursday, Dongtan-gu apartment prices rose 0.60% from the previous week, accelerating from the prior week's 0.49% gain. Dongtan's increase was concentrated in transit-oriented areas in Cheongye-dong and Yeoul-dong. Other Gyeonggi Province cities also posted sharp weekly gains — Gwangmyeong (0.43%), Seongnam Sujeong-gu (0.42%), Anyang Dongan-gu (0.35%), Guri (0.34%), Hanam (0.29%), Suwon Yeongtong-gu (0.26%), Yongin Giheung-gu (0.21%) and Yongin Suji-gu (0.20%) — pushing the overall Gyeonggi Province increase to 0.12% from 0.09% the previous week.

Seoul's apartment price gain held steady at 0.25%, matching the previous week. In the southeastern districts, Gangnam-gu widened its increase from 0.14% to 0.21%, Seocho-gu from 0.20% to 0.21%, and Gangdong-gu from 0.12% to 0.19%. In the northeastern corridor, Seongdong-gu rose from 0.30% to 0.35%, Dongdaemun-gu from 0.30% to 0.37%, and Jungnang-gu from 0.18% to 0.29%.

A Korea Real Estate Board official said the Seoul market is split between areas where buyer inquiries have thinned as participants adopt a wait-and-see stance, and areas where price gains are consistently occurring, driven by newly built, large-scale or transit-oriented complexes.

Outside the capital region, Ulsan (0.08%), North Jeolla Province (0.07%) and South Jeolla Province (0.06%) posted gains, while Busan (0.00%) and Gangwon Province (0.00%) were flat. Gwangju (-0.11%), Jeju (-0.04%), Daegu (-0.03%) and Daejeon (-0.03%) declined, leaving the national average unchanged at 0.00%.

In the jeonse market, Seoul apartment jeonse prices rose 0.29% this week, up from 0.26% the previous week. Gains accelerated broadly across the city — Songpa-gu (0.50%), Seongdong-gu (0.48%), Dobong-gu (0.47%), Seongbuk-gu (0.43%), Nowon-gu (0.41%), Gwangjin-gu (0.39%) and Gwanak-gu (0.36%) all posted steeper increases.

A Korea Real Estate Board official said rental inquiries have been consistently strong and jeonse demand remains elevated, with price increases concentrated in well-regarded complexes near school districts, transit hubs and large developments, lifting the Seoul average across the board.


hwshin@heraldcorp.com