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The Trunk's Seo Hyun Jin moves to 1.5 billion KRW apartment amid housing scam, here's how she plans to recover loss
Actress Seo Hyun Jin becomes the latest victim of South Korea’s growing jeonse fraud crisis. She’s facing legal battles to recover a multi-billion KRW deposit tied to a villa in Gangnam.
Actress Seo Hyun Jin has found herself entangled in a real estate dispute after falling victim to jeonse fraud. It is a type of housing scam that continues to trap unsuspecting tenants across South Korea.
According to court documents disclosed on June 3, Seo Hyun Jin is currently seeking to recover a massive 2.6 billion KRW (approximately 1.9 million USD) deposit tied to a jeonse contract for a high-end villa located in Cheongdam-dong. During this ongoing case, she vacated her former residence and is now said to be staying at a different property she owns.
A new home
Amid the ongoing legal battle, Seo Hyun Jin has managed to secure a new place to live. She reportedly relocated to an apartment in Oksu-dong, a neighborhood in central Seoul. This property, purchased in her name in 2018, was acquired for 1.5 billion KRW (approximately 1.07 million USD), paid entirely in cash.
A deal gone wrong
It all started when Seo Hyun Jin entered into the jeonse agreement in April 2020. She offered a staggering 2.5 billion KRW (approximately 1.8 million USD) as a lump-sum deposit in exchange for rent-free living for the duration of the lease term.
It’s a common arrangement under South Korea’s unique housing system. She renewed the contract in 2022, increasing the deposit by an additional 125 million KRW (about 89,000 USD). This brought her total investment in the property to 2.625 billion KRW.
However, when the lease expired in April 2024, the villa’s owner failed to return the deposit. Despite repeated attempts to resolve the issue, Seo was unable to recover the funds. It prompted her to take legal steps. In September 2024, she formally registered her lease rights through the court and moved out of the property.
Auction offers slim hope of recovery
With negotiations stalled, Seo pursued legal recourse by initiating a forced auction of the Cheongdam-dong villa. While the property was officially appraised at 2.874 billion KRW (approximately 2.05 million USD), the first auction round failed to attract a buyer. As a result, the court lowered the minimum bid to 2.299 billion KRW (roughly 1.64 million USD) in preparation for a second auction scheduled for June 17.
For Seo, the financial stakes remain high. In order to recoup her full deposit, the winning bid must exceed 2.6 billion KRW. It’s a target that may be difficult to reach in today’s cooling real estate market. If the final sale price falls short, Seo could suffer a major financial loss.
