Share of housing units South Korea 2023, by type

Most dwellings in Korea were apartments, accounting for around 65 percent of all housing types. Detached houses were the next most popular housing type. Living in detached houses has become a trendy option for a comfortable and environmentally friendly lifestyle.

Apartments in South Korea

There are three main types of houses in Korea: high-rise apartments, detached houses, and row houses. Apartments are the most common form of housing in Korea. Apartments are usually buildings with five to 20 stories, but there are a few areas where even taller buildings are permitted. 'Doosan We've the Zenith' is an 80-story apartment building located in Haeundae, Busan and was the tallest apartment building in Korea at the time it was built. South Koreans prefer living in an apartment as residential environments, such as shopping centers and sports facilities, are conveniently built around apartment complexes. 

A surge in housing prices

The Korean government has announced various policies to stabilize the housing market. In particular, the government has tried to limit the skyrocketing price of the housing market in Seoul. These actions also had led investors in Seoul to turn their attention to other provinces, and housing prices in some regions such as Sejong and Daejeon had increased accordingly. However, this has changed in recent years as in a survey conducted in 2023, most respondents said housing prices would go down in the future.