At Raemian One Bailey, an ultra-high-priced apartment in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, a parenting group has formed that only children of residents born in 2026 can join. Following blind dates among residents and athletic meets with other apartment complexes, the goal is to help even newborns make friends within the same complex.
In the past, schools, workplaces, and hometowns were the main links for personal networks, but recently "which apartment you live in" has emerged as a new link. In particular, in Seoul's Gangnam area, people with similar living zones, residential environments, and economic backgrounds are meeting and interacting through the same apartment, forming what is called "apartment ties (yeon)."
Views are divided. Some say it is a natural living community where neighbors in similar environments share parenting information and build camaraderie, while others note it could further fortify a "class fence" by fostering relationships among people with similar asset levels.
◇Even those born in 2026 need "resident verification"… "Leave the group if you move"
According to online communities on the 12th, on the 9th a group called "One Bailey Kids 26" was launched on a platform app. The organizer said it is "a group for children born in 2026 and their families growing up together at One Bailey," adding, "We want to give the children neighborhood friends who grow up together and give parents neighbors with whom they can maintain long-term exchanges."
To join, you must currently live in One Bailey. You must verify your residency and leave the group if you move. Prospective residents can join only after actually moving in.
One Bailey is a representative ultra-high-priced apartment in Banpo, where exclusive 84 square meters (34-pyeong type) units have recently been trading in the 5 billion–7 billion won range.
Online, some react by asking whether children's friendships will be split from birth depending on the apartment they live in. Residents, however, see advantages in parents within the same complex sharing parenting information and helping their children make nearby peers.
◇From blind dates to an "apartment rivalry match"… homes as network communities
It is not the first time One Bailey has been used as a medium for building relationships. In 2023, a blind-date group called "Won Gyeolhoe" was created for unmarried children of One Bailey residents and owners. In May last year, about 100 members even held a blind-date event while riding yachts on the Han River.
In May, residents of One Bailey and nearby Maple Xi held a friendly athletic meet. As they cheered for their respective apartments in screen golf, basketball, and table tennis, some even likened it to the regular exchange match between Yonsei University and Korea University, coining the term "apartment rivalry match."
Meetups centered on apartments have extended to the marriage market. Won Gyeolhoe championed an "apartment marriage culture" and launched a matchmaking company called "One Bailey Nobility," and it has since expanded membership to include residents of Gangnam and Seocho.
A blind-date app called "Apting (APTING)" has also been released to connect people based on their apartment residence. Users can verify whether they live in an apartment and, if they wish, register economic conditions such as income level and workplace.
If school ties or regional ties used to naturally bind people in the past, apartments are now becoming the unit for forming new personal networks.
◇"Living community" vs. "class fence"
Experts say this phenomenon itself is not entirely new. There has long been a trend of "assortative mating," in which people with similar social and economic conditions—such as educational background, occupation, and income—form relationships and marry.
What has changed is that apartments have become a relatively clear indicator of an individual's economic background. Especially in areas like Seoul's Gangnam, where home prices are high and price differences between complexes are large, "which apartment you live in" can function as a criterion that groups people with similar asset levels and living zones.
Lee Ju-hee, a sociology professor at Ewha Womans University, said, "There has long been assortative mating among people with similar socioeconomic status," adding, "Now that asset levels are immediately visible through real estate like apartments, the cohesion among residents appears more pronounced."
On the other hand, some say it is excessive to immediately label this a "closed network among the wealthy." Parenting co-ops, exercise groups, and neighborhood social clubs have existed everywhere, and in Korea, where large-scale apartments are common, complexes can be seen as replacing the community functions once served by alleys or villages.
A real estate industry official said, "In large new complexes these days, not only facilities but the community function that consolidates residents is considered a component of residential value," adding, "Parenting groups can be seen as natural demand for neighbors raising children in similar environments to share information and become closer."