Business · Economy · 1 hr ago
Chinese-owned homes in South Korea rose by 16,550 in three years
At the end of 2025, Chinese nationals owned 61,439 homes in South Korea, including apartments and houses.
That was 16,550 more than at the end of 2022, a rise of 36.9%.
Foreign-owned homes overall rose to 108,231, up 29.6% over the same period.
The figures were provided by South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to lawmaker Kim Mi-ae.
The ministry does not publish detailed data on foreign owners with two or more homes by nationality and region, or on their purchases, sales and transaction values.
At the end of 2025, 7,038 foreign nationals owned at least two homes, including 16 who owned 30 or more.
Kim called for fuller ownership and transaction data to help assess whether South Korea should apply similar property restrictions to those imposed on its citizens abroad; she said the ministry should work with other agencies to improve the figures before considering policy changes.
Chinese-owned homes in South Korea increased by 16,550 between the end of 2022 and the end of 2025, reaching 61,439.
The increase was 36.9%, according to figures provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
Foreign-owned homes overall rose by 24,719 to 108,231 during the same period.
The ministry said it does not produce or publish figures on foreign owners with multiple homes by nationality and region, or on foreign buyers’ and sellers’ transaction numbers and values.
People’s Power Party lawmaker Kim Mi-ae called for better data to inform consideration of property rules based on reciprocity between countries.
- Who
- Chinese nationals who own homes in South Korea; the figures were provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
- What
- The number of Chinese-owned homes rose by 16,550 over three years, reaching 61,439.
- When
- From the end of 2022 to the end of 2025.
- Where
- South Korea.
- Why
- The article reports the increase but does not state its causes. Kim Mi-ae called for improved data to assess property reciprocity.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Chinese nationals owned 44,889 homes in South Korea.
Chinese nationals owned 61,439 homes, while foreign nationals overall owned 108,231 homes.
Maeil Business reported the figures and Kim Mi-ae’s call for improved statistics.
- Chinese-owned homes, end of 2022
- 44,889
- Chinese-owned homes, end of 2025
- 61,439
- Increase over three years
- 16,550 homes, or 36.9%
- Foreign-owned homes, end of 2025
- 108,231
- Foreign owners with two or more homes, end of 2025
- 7,038
- Foreign owners with 30 or more homes, end of 2025
- 16
1 source
What people are saying
To consider reciprocity, we need to know precisely both the restrictions our citizens face in other countries and how many homes those countries’ citizens own, buy and sell here.
The total numbers by country are not enough. Statistics should be improved so we can see where foreigners who own multiple homes are and how much they buy and sell.