Park Hapsu, co-chair of the Korea Real Estate Experts Club and adjunct professor at Konkuk University Graduate School of Real Estate, forecast that this year home prices will rise not only in Seoul and the greater capital area but in most regions nationwide.
Chair Park said on the afternoon of the 19th at the 9th forum of the Real Estate Experts Club, held under the theme "Outlook for the 2026 real estate market," that "home prices in the five metropolitan cities began turning upward in Nov. last year." According to KB Real Estate's monthly dwellings price trends, the apartment sales price growth rate in the five metropolitan cities turned positive at 0.06% in Nov. last year and recorded 0.11% in Dec.
Park said, "Of course, conditions differ by region. As of Dec. last year, Daegu was slightly weak at around -0.02%, but from Jan. this year it will enter an upward phase."
Park predicted that Seoul could remain in a wait-and-see mode due to the burden from a short-term surge. Park said, "They say Seoul home prices rose an average of 8% last year, but when you see an apartment that had been transacting at around 1.2 billion won jump to 1.8 billion to 2 billion won within a year, there are plenty of places where the increase rate tops 50%," adding, "With additional gains limited, the home price growth rate will be lower than the previous year."
Park said, "The important thing is interest rates," adding, "The Bank of Korea will not cut the base rate until the first half of this year, so lending rates will stay above an annual 4%." Park projected the exchange rate will not exceed 1,500 won.