Ji-woo Park, South Korea contributor

Covers selling a home in South Korea the direct way (직거래) from primary sources, with a focus on the three things that decide a private sale here: the staged deposit-and-balance contract, the 30-day transaction report to the district office, and the moment ownership flips at the Supreme Court registry rather than at the handshake. The desk treats the seller's real exposure as transfer income tax and points readers to a tax accountant before a completion date is fixed, not after.

In Korea the hard part of a private sale is rarely finding a buyer; it is the sequencing. Deposit, then balance, then registration, each step tied to the next, with money never moving more than a step ahead of title. Meeting that order on paper first is what separates a clean direct sale from a stalled one.

Direct selling here is neither improvised nor unusually risky. The register at iros.go.kr tells both sides the truth about the title; the contract’s deposit structure keeps both parties honest; the district-office report puts the price on record. None of that requires an agent. What it requires is a seller who understands that ownership changes only when the registry says so, and who does not release a seal certificate before the balance lands.

Tax is where private sellers most often misjudge their exposure. One home, held two years, and the gain is usually straightforward. Sell too soon, or own more than one property, and the transfer income tax bill can be severe. The defensible move is the same every time: consult a 세무사 before picking a closing date.

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