The protagonist who purchased the 'Banpo Xi' apartment, a well-known landmark apartment in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, with a dedicated area of 244㎡ (supply 91 pyeong) at the highest price of 7.4 billion won, has been confirmed to be a foreigner of Uzbekistan nationality.
According to the real estate industry on the 10th, the 244㎡ apartment in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, which is part of Banpo Xi, was sold for 7.4 billion won in November last year. This marks the highest transaction for that area, with a price 300 million won higher than the previous transaction. The buyer, a 41-year-old Uzbekistan national named A, has his address listed as the 'Korea-Uzbekistan Traditional Medicine Clinic' in the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent. The center is reported to promote traditional medicine by providing acupuncture training for Uzbek doctors.
A completed the transfer of ownership registration on the 28th. It is estimated that the entire amount of 7.4 billion won was paid in cash, as there was no separate mortgage registered on the property deed. Banpo Xi is a large complex consisting of a total of 3,410 dwellings in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu. It is known that this apartment houses comedian Park Jun-hyung and Kim Ji-hye, as well as actress Yeo Jeong-a.
Recently, the number of foreigners purchasing real estate in South Korea has increased. The number of dwellings owned by foreigners has risen each year and nearly reached 100,000 units in the first half of last year. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's 'Key Status of Foreign Ownership of Dwellings' report, as of the end of June last year, the number of dwellings owned by foreigners was tallied at 95,058 units. This has continuously increased from 82,512 units at the end of 2022 to 87,223 units in the first half of 2023, and is expected to reach 91,453 units by the end of 2023. This accounts for about 0.49% of the total dwellings (19.55 million units) last year.
The majority of dwellings owned by foreigners are located in the metropolitan area. By nationality of ownership, China had the most at 52,798 units, accounting for 55.5%. This was followed by the United States with 21,360 units (22.5%), Canada with 6,225 units (6.5%), Taiwan with 3,307 units (3.5%), and Australia with 1,894 units (2.0%).