[DiaryPoint = Kim Jung-hoon, reporter] TV personality Kim Dong-hyun is reported to have bought an apartment in Sinhyundae 12th Complex in Apgujeong-dong, Seoul, for 10 billion won. Homes of the same exclusive size have since sold for 8.8 billion won and 9.2 billion won. However, both transactions involved units other than the one Kim owns. Recent market prices alone do not show that Kim has actually lost 1.2 billion won.
According to reports citing public real estate transaction data from South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, a 182.95-square-meter unit in Sinhyundae 12th Complex sold for 8.8 billion won on October 14, 2026, and for 9.2 billion won on October 21 of the same month. Kim's purchase price was reported as 10 billion won, under a contract signed on September 23, 2026. Compared with that price, the two sales were 1.2 billion won and 800 million won lower, respectively.
Same size does not mean the same home
Public transaction records show that both the 8.8 billion won and 9.2 billion won sales were for units on the sixth floor, while Kim's home was reported to be on the third floor. Even within the same complex and of the same size, units can differ in floor level, orientation, condition, and other factors. As a result, other units' transaction prices serve only as a point of comparison. They are not the same as the current market value of Kim's home or a confirmed loss.
A loss is only finalized when the owner sells the home for less than the purchase price. If the home has not been sold, the gap from the purchase price is an unrealized change in valuation. To calculate the final gain or loss, taxes and fees for buying and selling, as well as mortgage interest, must also be taken into account.
Seller financing means borrowing part of the purchase price from the seller
Reports also said the purchase used seller financing, an arrangement in which the seller lends part of the sale price to the buyer. Based on the maximum secured amount listed on the property's mortgage registration, the report estimated the loan at about 5 billion won. Specific terms, including the actual principal, interest rate, and repayment schedule, have not been disclosed.
A loan does not lower the price of the home itself, but it does affect how much of the buyer's own money is at stake and how sensitive their gains and losses are to price changes. If the loan is assumed to be about 5 billion won and the 8.8 billion won sale is used as a simple benchmark, the difference in asset value before acquisition costs and interest is 1.2 billion won. However, this calculation is not a verified loss or a decline in Kim's net worth.
The key point is that units of the same size in Sinhyundae 12th Complex were reported to have sold for 8.8 billion won and 9.2 billion won. The gap from the 10 billion won purchase price is eye-catching, but because unit conditions and loan repayment details have not been made public, Kim's actual gain or loss cannot be determined.