SEOUL, May 29 (AJP) - Foreign-owned housing in South Korea has surpassed 100,000 households, with Chinese nationals making up the largest share.
According to data released Friday by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, foreigners owned about 108,231 housing units, accounting for 0.55 percent of the country's 19.65 million homes as of 2025.
The number of foreign-owned homes rose 8 percent last year, down from 9.6 percent a year earlier, though it still remained high.
By nationality, Chinese nationals owned 61,000 homes, the most among foreigners, followed by Americans with 23,000 and Canadians with 6,500. Others included Taiwanese with 3,400, Vietnamese with 2,000, Australians with 2,000, and Japanese with 1,600.
By region, Gyeonggi Province had the most foreign-owned homes at 42,000, followed by Seoul with 25,000 and Incheon with 11,000, showing a heavy concentration in the metropolitan area, particularly near industrial complexes.
The ministry attributed the rise to a rapid increase in the number of foreign residents, which grew from about 1.19 million in 2022 to 1.6 million by the end of last year.
Meanwhile, the ministry vowed to tighten monitoring of transaction records. "We will continue to inspect real estate purchases by foreigners to crack down on any suspicious or illegal deals," a ministry official said.
According to data released Friday by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, foreigners owned about 108,231 housing units, accounting for 0.55 percent of the country's 19.65 million homes as of 2025.
The number of foreign-owned homes rose 8 percent last year, down from 9.6 percent a year earlier, though it still remained high.
By nationality, Chinese nationals owned 61,000 homes, the most among foreigners, followed by Americans with 23,000 and Canadians with 6,500. Others included Taiwanese with 3,400, Vietnamese with 2,000, Australians with 2,000, and Japanese with 1,600.
By region, Gyeonggi Province had the most foreign-owned homes at 42,000, followed by Seoul with 25,000 and Incheon with 11,000, showing a heavy concentration in the metropolitan area, particularly near industrial complexes.
The ministry attributed the rise to a rapid increase in the number of foreign residents, which grew from about 1.19 million in 2022 to 1.6 million by the end of last year.
Meanwhile, the ministry vowed to tighten monitoring of transaction records. "We will continue to inspect real estate purchases by foreigners to crack down on any suspicious or illegal deals," a ministry official said.
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