YouTube video of newlywed home-hunting trip draws attention
Actor Nam Bo-ra, 36, has drawn attention online after saying, "These days, buying a home has genuinely become harder." She voiced a widely shared frustration among younger generations over tightened mortgage regulations.
According to the YouTube channel STUDIO OMG, a video titled "Newlywed Home: Seoul vs. Gyeonggi Province? Nam Bo-ra and Her Sibling's Real Estate Tour ㅣ Bora Unnie Dongsaeng" was posted Tuesday. In it, Nam accompanies a PD who is about to get married on a house-hunting trip for the PD's newlywed home.
Throughout the video, Nam thoroughly inspects every corner of each property and calculates the costs involved in a purchase, showing the qualities of a dependable elder sister.
Nam first asked how much seed money the PD had set aside. The PD replied, "It's around 60 million to 70 million won ($52,200). Scraping everything together, it comes to 70 million won." The PD added, "If I'm buying, I think I'd have to look at places under 250 million won. Don't first-time buyers get a 70 percent loan?"
Nam then asked where the couple worked. The PD said she worked in Noryangjin, while her boyfriend worked near Geumjeong Station on Seoul Subway Line 4, close to Anyang.
In response, Nam suggested, "If you give up on Seoul, couldn't you look at somewhere in Gyeonggi Province instead?"
The PD, noting that Nam had already found her own newlywed home, asked her, "Wasn't it a headache when you were looking for your place?"
Nam let out a deep sigh and said, "Housing is always like that. These days, it is hard to even get a loan. Buying a home has become even harder."
The two toured villas, officetels and apartments around Yeomchang-dong in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, and the area near Gunpo Station. While inspecting the units, Nam showed her meticulous side, remarking, "Koreans love a three-bay layout the most," and "Are water and electricity billed separately from the maintenance fee?" She also noted, "This one faces south, but the view is of the outdoor unit." She even checked out a money tree, a plant said to bring wealth and good fortune.
When the PD expressed interest in a newly built villa, Nam pulled out a calculator to work through the numbers. She calculated the sale price, the available loan amount, acquisition tax, legal fees, brokerage commission and even moving costs. She also offered practical advice, saying, "For your wedding essentials, Karrot (a secondhand trading platform) is the answer."
The PD thanked her, saying, "You're like a real adult, unnie. A true grown-up."
Viewers who watched the video responded with comments such as, "I wish I had someone like Bo-ra unnie by my side," "Please come house-hunting with me too," and "How do newlywed couples even manage to find a home these days?"
Meanwhile, Nam is nicknamed the "K-eldest daughter." She is the second of 13 siblings and the eldest daughter. She married a non-celebrity of the same age in May 2025 and gave birth to a son in June.
jshan@heraldcorp.com
