Sayuri regrets passing on Gangnam apartment now worth W3.5b

Broadcaster Sayuri opened up about the frustrations of renting on a jeonse contract in South Korea.

A video titled "It's hard to raise kids in Korea" was uploaded Wednesday to comedian Choi Yang-rak's YouTube channel.

The clip featured Sam Hammington and Sayuri in conversation with Choi.

Choi asked the two guests what they found most difficult about living in Korea.

In response, Sayuri said apartment prices were her biggest concern. "Prices have shot up so frighteningly fast. In Japan, prices now are almost the same as they were 20 years ago. When I first came to Korea, the base taxi fare was 1,900 won," she said.

When Choi asked whether she might consider moving back to Japan given its price stability, Sayuri said she had no intention of leaving. "I like Korea. I'm here because I like it," she said.

Choi then asked Sayuri whether she owned the apartment near Gangnam District Office where she currently lives.

Sayuri revealed she was on a jeonse contract and expressed regret over a missed opportunity. "I really regretted it at the time. When I lived in Samseong-dong, I moved in on a jeonse. The landlord told me to buy it for 1 billion won ($678,000) — about 13 or 14 years ago. Back then I thought, where would I get 1 billion won? Now it's 3.5 billion won," she said, leaving everyone stunned. Choi lamented that she should have stretched her finances to buy it.

Sayuri said her living space had steadily shrunk. "Every two years the jeonse deposit goes up, so I end up moving to a smaller place. I've lost about 33 square meters by now," she said.

Meanwhile, Sayuri became a mother in 2020 through sperm donation, giving birth to her son Zen.