"Fifteen Minutes from Bed to Office" — Newlyweds Pay 570,000 Won in Rent for a Gangnam Apartment [Jip Nawara Ttukttak!]

[Financial News] "We found a newly built apartment in Gangnam for our newlywed home at 570,000 won a month. Because it is much cheaper than the market rate, we can really save money and build up our savings."
According to industry sources on the 16th, Youth Safe Housing is a rental housing program supplied by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. It targets young people and newlyweds without homes, and is located in areas with convenient public transportation, such as near subway stations or along major roads.
Jang Joo-hyuk and Park Yeon-woo, who live in the Youth Safe Housing complex Samseong-dong Maestro in Gangnam District, are an engaged couple set to marry in November. Jang explained, "While looking for a newlywed home with good conditions, we decided to actively use the government’s housing programs," adding, "We applied to every place we could through the Youth Safe Housing website, and this complex contacted us, so we were able to move in." Because they had already registered their marriage on paper, they were eligible to win a unit reserved for newlyweds.
Samseong-dong Maestro is a newly built complex completed in 2023. The unit the couple lives in has an exclusive floor area of 29 square meters and a one-and-a-half-room layout. They pay a deposit of 194 million won and a monthly rent of 571,000 won, which is about 75% lower than the going market rate.
One of its biggest advantages is that it is only a two-minute walk from Seolleung Station. Both Jang and Park work in the Gangnam Business District (GBD), making them typical "Gangnam office workers." Their commutes take about 15 and 35 minutes respectively, and they expressed strong satisfaction with the proximity between home and workplace.
They also see it as a plus that the complex is managed by a company. Park noted, "There is always a manager on duty, so if any problem comes up, we send a message via KakaoTalk and it gets resolved right away." Maestro is a residential real estate brand developed and managed by Hanmi Global D&I, a subsidiary of HanmiGlobal. It has properties not only in Samseong-dong but also in Bangbae-dong, Cheonho-dong, Munjeong-dong, and other parts of Seoul.
The unit is also fully furnished with built-in appliances such as a refrigerator, washing machine, and air conditioner. This "full-option" setup is seen as easing the couple’s burden of buying household items for their marriage.
Looking ahead, they aim to move into a larger unit in the Happy Housing program. Jang said, "Before moving here, the studio I lived in was also located in Gangnam District," and added, "One of the eligibility criteria for Happy Housing is how many years you have lived in the same district, so we decided to keep living in Gangnam to increase our chances of being selected." Their strategy is to maintain their resident registration in Gangnam for as long as possible to gain priority when applying for Happy Housing.
Further details, including useful tips on loans for newlyweds, can be found on the YouTube channel "Jip Nawara Ttukttak!"



ming@fnnews.com Min-kyung Jeon Reporter