Actress Seo Hyun Jin has become the latest public figure to fall victim to jeonse fraud, a troubling real estate scam that continues to impact many South Korean tenants. According to court documents revealed on June 3, Seo is currently entangled in a legal battle to recover a hefty 2.6 billion KRW (approximately 1.9 million USD) deposit tied to a luxury villa in Cheongdam-dong. Amid this ongoing case, she has moved out and is now residing in another property she owns.
Seo reportedly relocated to an apartment in Oksu-dong, central Seoul. This home was purchased under her name back in 2018 for 1.5 billion KRW (approximately 1.07 million USD), fully paid in cash. While this has provided her with a secure residence, the financial toll of the Cheongdam-dong dispute continues to loom.
The situation began in April 2020 when Seo entered into a jeonse agreement—South Korea’s unique housing lease system where tenants provide a large lump-sum deposit in lieu of monthly rent. She initially offered 2.5 billion KRW (about 1.8 million USD), and upon renewing the lease in 2022, added another 125 million KRW (around 89,000 USD), bringing her total deposit to 2.625 billion KRW.
However, when her lease expired in April 2024, the property owner failed to return the deposit. Despite multiple attempts at resolution, Seo had no choice but to take legal action. She formally registered her lease rights through the court in September 2024 and vacated the villa.
In pursuit of justice, she initiated a forced auction of the Cheongdam-dong property. Though appraised at 2.874 billion KRW (approximately 2.05 million USD), the first auction failed to attract a buyer. Consequently, the court lowered the minimum bid to 2.299 billion KRW (around 1.64 million USD) for a second auction scheduled for June 17.
This poses a serious risk for Seo, as she can only recover the full deposit if the villa sells for over 2.6 billion KRW. In a real estate market facing declining demand, hitting that figure is uncertain—leaving the actress potentially facing a substantial financial loss.