his study empirically analyzes the impact of the "Lifting of Speculative Overheating Zones" measure, implemented by the Korean government on January 5, 2023, on the sales prices of officetels in Seoul. Recently, the Korean real estate market has e...
his study empirically analyzes the impact of the "Lifting of Speculative Overheating Zones" measure, implemented by the Korean government on January 5, 2023, on the sales prices of officetels in Seoul. Recently, the Korean real estate market has experienced a downturn due to a complex interplay of intensive regulatory policies, rising interest rates, and a "transaction cliff." In response, the government deregulated specific areas to normalize the market; however, research on how such deregulation affects the quasi-housing market—specifically officetels—as opposed to the apartment market remains insufficient.While originally designed as office facilities, officetels have evolved into a primary substitute for residential housing due to demographic shifts, the increase in one-to-two-person households, and the diversification of housing types. Unlike apartments, officetels are relatively free from major housing regulations such as subscription systems, loan restrictions, and resale bans, suggesting that policy transmission mechanisms may operate differently. Therefore, this study examines the ripple effects of apartment-centered policies on the quasi-housing market by analyzing the impact of lifting speculative zone restrictions on sales prices and volatility in the Seoul officetel market.As for the research methodology, this study employs a combination of the Hedonic Price Model and the Difference-in-Differences (DID) method to compare actual transaction data between the deregulated areas (21 non-Gangnam districts) and the non-deregulated areas (Gangnam, Seocho, Songpa, and Yongsan). The analysis utilizes data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s actual transaction price disclosure system from 2018 to 2024. It controls for physical attributes (gross floor area, year of completion, floor level, etc.) and locational factors (proximity to subways, commercial zone status, etc.) to estimate the pure impact of the policy change.The results of the analysis indicate that following the 2023 deregulation, officetel sales prices in Seoul generally rose, demonstrating a clear signaling effect of the policy. However, the results showed an asymmetric pattern by region; the price increase in the three Gangnam districts (Gangnam, Seocho, and Songpa), where regulations remained, was approximately 327,000 KRW per ㎡ (4.2%p) higher than in the deregulated non-Gangnam districts. This suggests that expectations regarding deregulation and subsequent capital inflows were concentrated in top-tier regions with strong market fundamentals. Consequently, contrary to the policy's intent, the price gap between regions actually intensified. By defining officetels as both a substitute for apartments and an independent quasi-housing market, this study empirically demonstrates that changes in government regulatory policies can lead to divergent outcomes across different sub-regions within a market. The findings suggest the necessity of a differentiated approach that reflects the specific characteristics of housing types and regional markets, rather than the current uniform, apartment-centric regulations. Furthermore, this study holds academic significance as it fills a gap in existing literature by providing a spatial analysis of the indirect effects of speculative zone regulations within the context of the officetel market. Keywords: Speculative Overheating Zone, Real Estate Policy, Officetel, Difference-in-Differences (DID), Hedonic Price Model, Apartment Substitute