NUMBER OF THE DAY
So many people in their 30s in Seoul are unable to make the leap into homeownership despite hard work and career progression.
🏙️ Renting instead of owning: Only 25.8% of Seoul residents in their 30s still own a home – the lowest rate ever recorded. Reasons include delayed entry into the workforce, later marriages, and soaring housing prices.
💸 Housing market locked tight: Stricter lending rules, such as tougher loan-to-value limits, are raising the barriers to entry. The number of non-homeowners has been rising for six straight years, most recently by more than 17,000 households in a single year.
Watch: Seoul risks forming a “lost housing generation.” When young workers are permanently shut out of the property market, it suppresses consumption, delays family formation, and weakens social mobility — further worsening Korea’s already dramatically low birth rate.
The China Survival Guide for Western Businesses
Entity setup, WeChat strategy, hiring your first local team. 12+ years on the ground in Shanghai.
