Im Hyung-jun: 'My old home cost 200-W300m — now it's worth over W2b'

Actor Im Hyung-jun is revisiting a home he once sold — and the regret that came with it.

In Thursday's episode of MBC variety program "Save Me! Holmes," Im and actor Jeong I-rang appear as guests alongside comedian Kim Suk to search for apartments in central Seoul priced around 200 million won ($135,000).

The episode comes amid the average sale price of Seoul apartments surpassing 1.5 billion won. Following a previous segment in which the cast hunted for Seoul apartments in the 300 million won range, the team this time sets its sights on units around 200 million won in central Seoul. Joining the search are Im, a Seoul native, fellow actor Jeong I-rang, and Kim Suk, a comedian who has lived in the city for years.

The three head to Hannam-dong, a neighborhood packed with villas and apartment complexes whose names alone carry considerable cachet.

Kim and Im swapped stories about their first homes — each purchased in the 200 million to 300 million won range — which have since climbed well past 2 billion won in market value, leaving both lamenting their decisions to sell.

Im in particular confessed that he still looks up the Seoul apartment that appeared on the MBC variety show "Just Let Me Sleep Over for a Night" every time he misses it, drawing a wave of wistful sympathy from those on set.

The group then found an apartment in the several-hundred-million-won range that offers access to the same lifestyle as Hannam-dong's most prestigious residential addresses. Widely regarded as one of Seoul's representative older apartment complexes, the unit drew admiring reactions from the cast for its spacious and well-proportioned layout.

Meanwhile, Im made his debut in 1999 in the stage production "Line 1." He has since appeared in the films "Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield," the "Family Honor" series, "The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil" and "Angry Bull," as well as the drama series "Robber," "Inspiring Generation," "Casino" and "Fine: Country Bumpkins."