Even within Seoul, the gap in apartment prices by area is widening. While apartment prices are rising in Gangnam and some emerging residential areas, some central districts are showing a downward trend, making the polarization more pronounced.
According to a real estate market trends report that Apartmentner released on the 27th, the average sale price of mid-sized apartments with an exclusive area of 85 square meters in Seoul from May 2025 to April was 1.33662 billion won. That is up 7.02% from the previous one-year average of 1.24605 billion won.
This upward trend was concentrated in the Han River belt and Gangnam. The district with the highest growth rate was Dongdaemun. The average sale price in Dongdaemun rose 13.14% from 968.27 million won to 1.09551 billion won. This appears to be the result of a combination of factors, including the Cheongnyangni Station mixed-use development, the Imun–Hwigyeong redevelopment projects, and the effect of new move-in complexes.
In Gangnam, the recent pace of price increases has slowed, but the rise over the past year was significant. In Gangnam District, the average sale price climbed 12.88% from 2.44226 billion won to 2.75685 billion won. Songpa District and Gangdong District also rose 12.83% and 12.87%, respectively. The market says expectations for redevelopment, Han River-front premiums, and demand for school districts have driven price gains in Gangnam.
However, apartment prices are falling in some central districts within Seoul. In Jongno District, the average sale price fell 5.97% from 1.56424 billion won to 1.4709 billion won, the only negative change in Seoul. Analysts say the share of older complexes is high in central districts, new supply is limited, and expectations for redevelopment are relatively weak, which has cooled buying interest.
Experts said the recent Seoul apartment market is shifting from an "overall uptrend" to a "location-driven, differentiated market." Rather than all areas rising at once as in the past, price trends are diverging significantly depending on whether properties are new, expectations for redevelopment, and the presence of transportation catalysts.
Kim Jin-woo, leader at the proptech corporations Ddokgebi Sesang, said, "Some areas in Gangnam and the northeastern belt are lifting the overall uptrend in Seoul," adding, "As the gap in growth rates by area widens, selective approaches centered on location and product appeal are becoming more important."