The nationwide average presale price of private apartments measuring 59 square meters, a size widely regarded as the most popular among homebuyers, has surpassed 500 million won for the first time.

According to data from Realhouse, a real estate presale platform, analyzed from the Korea Real Estate Board’s database, the average presale price of private apartments across the country stood at 7.78 million won per square meter in September. This represents a 0.43 percent increase from the previous month and a 2.65 percent rise compared with the same period last year.

The annual presale price growth rate, which recorded 10.28 percent in September last year, dropped to 8.20 percent this January and has continued to slow since then.

For 84-square-meter units, commonly referred to as the “national standard size,” the average presale price reached 659.52 million won, up 0.4 percent from the previous month and 1.68 percent from a year earlier.

In contrast, 59-square-meter units saw a sharper rise, with the average presale price climbing 2.65 percent month-on-month and 4.56 percent year-on-year to reach 500.12 million won, breaking the 500 million won mark for the first time. By region, the average price for 59-square-meter units in Seoul soared to 1.21 billion won, more than twice the national average, while in Gyeonggi Province it was 641.41 million won, Busan 586.07 million won, and Daegu 579.89 million won.

Sales prices for 59-square-meter apartments also showed strong upward momentum. According to an analysis by real estate platform Zigbang, based on actual transaction data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the average sale price of 59-square-meter apartments in Seoul reached 1.05 billion won as of late September, up 8 percent from last year’s average of 972.66 million won.

Among Seoul’s districts, Gangnam-gu recorded the largest increase at 16.7 percent, followed by Mapo-gu (15.9 percent), Songpa-gu (15.8 percent), Gangdong-gu (13.9 percent), Seongdong-gu (13.7 percent), and Gwangjin-gu (11 percent), showing particularly strong growth along the Hangang River belt.

Experts attribute the continued popularity of the 59-square-meter size to its efficient space layout and greater affordability compared to 84-square-meter units, making it especially attractive to younger buyers and three-person households.

The tightening of mortgage regulations, which has increased the financial burden of home purchases, is also seen as a factor driving demand away from 84-square-meter units and toward the smaller 59-square-meter size.