Concerns Rise Over Water Bills in Knowledge Industry Center Dormitories
Residents in dormitories at knowledge industry centers are expressing concerns over their water bills. These facilities combine water usage from factories and offices with dormitory consumption, leading to higher costs for individual units due to the application of general usage rates. As the government promotes residential conversions in knowledge industry centers, the burden of public utility costs has emerged as a significant issue. According to the real estate industry on November 10, concerns regarding dormitory water bills have been raised in knowledge industry centers in areas such as Guri and Hanam. In Guri, one dormitory unit that used 10 cubic meters of water was billed nearly four times the amount calculated at residential rates.4-Person Households Struggle to Meet Lottery Point Requirements
In Seoul's competitive apartment lottery, even the highest points available for a four-person household are proving insufficient for winning a spot. Instances have been uncovered where applicants have moved the addresses of parents who do not live with them to increase their points, prompting calls for improvements in the point system and verification of dependents. A comprehensive investigation by Aju Economy into the lottery results from 29 private apartment complexes in Seoul, conducted from July of last year to October of this year, revealed that only seven complexes (24.1%) had winners with scores exceeding 79 points. The lottery point system awards a maximum of 32 points for the duration of being without housing, up to 17 points for the duration of bank account membership, and a maximum of 35 points for the number of dependents. A four-person household can receive 20 points for three dependents, meaning the maximum score achievable is 69 points. To reach 79 points, at least five dependents are required.Commercial and Office Building Transactions in Seoul Plummet 45%
Transactions for commercial and office buildings in Seoul saw a dramatic decline of over 45% in September. While the number of transactions remained similar to the previous month, the absence of large deals exceeding 100 billion won significantly reduced the overall transaction volume. According to an analysis by AlSquare, a commercial real estate service company, the total transaction amount for commercial and office buildings in Seoul in September was recorded at 1.0249 trillion won, a decrease of 45.4% from 1.8759 trillion won in August. However, the number of transactions stood at 143, only slightly down from 146 in the previous month. The overall decline in transaction volume is attributed more to the lack of large deals than to a general market contraction.354 Cases of Suspected Fraudulent Applications Detected
In an effort to increase points for dependents, 354 cases of suspected fraudulent applications have been identified, involving the false relocation of addresses for parents or children. As the government intensifies investigations into actual residency using medical facility records and workplace locations, the number of detected cases has risen by over 100 compared to the first half of last year. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on November 10, a joint inspection conducted by the ministry and the Office for Government Policy Coordination examined 43 complexes nationwide, comprising approximately 25,000 units, from July of last year to March of this year, confirming 354 cases of suspected fraudulent applications. The investigation targeted all complexes in regulated areas such as Seoul and major popular complexes in non-regulated areas.