Renting in Seoul's competitive housing market can be challenging in 2026. With housing prices rising around 9 percent year-on-year in 2025, marking the sharpest spike in 19 years, the news warned of the death of rentals, especially the nonmonthly ones. Some 21 years ago, when I rented my first apartment, it was not that difficult. My past experiences made me pretty complacent — until I actually had to find a place. Circa 2005, there were plenty of rentals using "jeonse," the Korean system of leasing on a two-year basis by agreeing to a certain lump sum rather than monthly rent. I had the fortune of living 16 years in one place — both the landlord and I were too lazy to bother with changes. Then I had to move to a new apartment nearby for about five years. Unfortunately, the apartment buildings where I lived were all scheduled to be converted into new units and apartments. Of course, they became more expensive. As neighborhoods soon turned to "jae-geonchuk" mode, or "tear and rebuild," en masse, they also had the effect of pushing up the median price of housing in Seoul. To be fair,