Korea tightens oversight on foreign capital in domestic real estate market
In an effort to curb market manipulation and enforce fair rules across all home buyers, land and transport officials in Korea have launched an expanded review of real estate transactions involving overseas capital. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Wednesday that it is currently investigating 840 residential and commercial property transactions conducted by foreign nationals…
The Korean government has intensified its scrutiny of property transactions involving foreign capital in a bid to prevent market manipulation and ensure fair practices for all homebuyers. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on Wednesday that it is currently examining 840 residential and commercial property deals executed by overseas nationals between June 2025 and July 2026.
This ongoing national investigation, slated to wrap up in December, expands on earlier regulatory steps taken in 2022 aimed at thwarting loopholes that enable unverified foreign funds to circumvent domestic lending limits and tax regulations.
In this broader crackdown, authorities are employing a revised decree of the Real Estate Transactions Act to delve into a larger pool of data. Inspectors are now tasked with confirming whether the funds used for property purchases originated from foreign stock sales, cryptocurrency liquidations, or overseas loans. Additionally, they are cross-referencing visa categories to identify rental businesses that may have been established by short-term visitors without proper authorization.
This intensified oversight directly addresses public concerns regarding potential abuse of the real estate market by foreign entities.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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