Analyzing the Reality of ‘Young Soul-Scraping Homebuyers’

Since July 2020, when housing prices skyrocketed, major media had spread out an issue that the 20·30 generations threw their hearts and souls and put all their cash reserves to buy a house. This study was set to investigate developing processes of the issue and objectively analyze them in order to inspect relevant points. This study also defined the issue, which is called the soul-scraping (Yeongkkeul) hereafter, on the basis of the Survey of Household Finances and Living Conditions and the volume of the homebuyers through housing financing plans. The results showed that the portion of people in their 20s and 30s who bought houses over KRW 300,000,000 in Seoul from the 1st half of 2020 to the 1st half of 2022 extended from 3.8% to 6.9% under the standard of debt service ratio 40%. Among them, homebuyers who sustained self-sufficient fund or received money over the non-taxable range from their family to buy their house were much more than those who threw their hearts and souls and put all their cash reserves. As a result, many news from major media that most of the 20·30 generations are bound up with soul-scrapping (Yeongkkeul) seemed to lack objectivity. A survey for housing purchase on the basis of housing financing plans was expected to expand relevant items for administrative information enhance reliability.