A National Assembly Research Service analysis commissioned by Representative Park Sung-hoon of the People Power Party found that an urban worker household would need 12.4 years, or about 12 years and 5 months, to buy a median-priced apartment in Seoul if it spent its entire income on the purchase. On a disposable-income basis, after taxes and social insurance contributions, the period rises to 16 years. Seoul's median apartment price reached 971 million won, about $710,000, while average annual income for urban worker households was 78.12 million won, about $57,000, this year. The calculation excludes living, education and medical expenses, mortgage interest and acquisition costs, making it a minimum estimate of the time required. Housing prices rose 69.9% from 2017 to 2025, compared with income growth of 39.1% and disposable-income growth of 34.8%, highlighting the widening affordability gap and the risk that housing upward mobility will become increasingly difficult.