Seoul recorded 3,069 apartment transactions priced above 2.5 billion won from January 1 to August 7, showing continued resilience in the city’s ultra-high-end housing market despite strict mortgage limits. The segment accounted for roughly 7% of Seoul’s 43,928 effective apartment deals over the period, with activity heavily concentrated in Gangnam, Seocho and Songpa, which together made up 77.6% of such sales. At higher price points, concentration was even sharper: the three districts accounted for about 91% of deals above 5 billion won. The data underscores how demand for top-tier homes is being sustained by cash-rich buyers, as South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (financial regulator) caps mortgage lending for homes above 2.5 billion won at 200 million won and loan availability can fall further under DSR (debt service ratio) rules. This year’s priciest reported sale was a 273-square-meter unit at Nine One Hannam in Yongsan-gu for 25 billion won in June. Even so, the outlook is less certain as the government’s proposed tax overhaul would raise the burden on expensive homes, lower deductions for some single-homeowners and gradually reduce long-term holding benefits, changes that analysts say may encourage selective selling without necessarily causing a sharp short-term downturn in Seoul’s rare trophy-asset segment.