One year after land transaction zones were designated across Seoul... Jeonse prices surge 4.1-fold [1-Minute Brief]

Published 13 Oct.2026 08:00(KST)

[At a glance]
① [Markets] One year of land transaction permit zones: From the three Gangnam districts and Yongsan to all of Seoul
② [Commodities] Hydrogen industry investment slump fuels anxiety among SMEs
③ [Defense] French defense firm Thales to establish defense equipment hub in Japan

MARKET INDEX : Year to date

One year after land transaction zones were designated across Seoul... Jeonse prices surge 4.1-fold [1-Minute Brief]

TOP 3 NEWS

■ Policy aimed at "curbing speculative demand" only fueled instability in the rental market [One year since Seoul-wide land transaction permit zones were introduced]

○Rental listings plunged despite a drop in gap investment
○Jeonse prices rose 4.1 times faster
○Only cash-rich buyers with money from gifts, stocks and other sources could buy

■ [Hydrogen's Broken Ladder] ① Ecosystem caught in a vicious cycle just as it got off the ground

○Total investment in Korea's hydrogen industry fell 32% in three years
○Pressure to switch to clean hydrogen before the existing market has even taken hold
○Insufficient demand → delayed investment → high costs: an "endless vicious cycle"

■ Is Japan accelerating its military capabilities? France's Thales to produce mortars in Japan starting next year

○Establishing an operational hub
○Transferring mortar production technology
○Speeding up the expansion of military capabilities

The Business of Law

■ Law firms with many complaints of "inadequate representation" to be named on Seoul Bar Association website

○Guidelines finalized for disclosing the criteria and information used to designate "law firms of concern"
○About 20 firms with 50 or more lawyers included in the survey
○If designated as a law firm of concern, its name and case acceptance information will be disclosed for one year
☞Read the article: https://www.asiae.co.kr/article/lawtimes/2026101215022298662

■ Three out of four people harmed by lawyers or law firms were unable to recover their losses

○Applications for remedies over legal service disputes nearly tripled in three years
○More than half of the cases involved contract cancellations or penalties
○Only 25% of those affected recovered their losses through refunds or compensation
☞Read the article: https://www.asiae.co.kr/article/lawtimes/2026101215043906718

■ Companies ask AI to review legal documents, then use another AI to check its work

○As corporate legal teams use AI more, they are turning less to law firms for advice
○Concerns are growing over the impact on small and midsize law firms and solo practitioners
○Law firms are focusing on complex advisory work, including M&A and finance
☞Read the article: https://www.asiae.co.kr/article/lawtimes/2026101215072549045

※ "The Business of Law," a content partnership between The Asia Business Daily and Legal Times, appears in the Tuesday and Thursday editions each week.