Of the 8.8 trillion won increase in public housing, 6.2 trillion won is newly allocated to 'universal rental housing' for middle-class and youth, with 20,000 high-quality units planned near transit stations. ^[1] South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) announced on 2026-09-01 that it drafted a 2027 budget of 69 trillion won, a 9.9% increase from 2026's 62.8 trillion won. ^[2] According to South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) real transaction system, a 95.39㎡ unit at the Janghyeon Hyundai apartment complex in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, was sold for 980 million won on Aug 31, 2026, on the 5th floor. ^[3] This transaction is the highest price for the same unit type (95.39㎡) at Janghyeon Hyundai in Dongdaemun-gu within the last three years. ^[4] Choi Eun-young, head of the Korea Urban Research Institute, criticized the budget as focused on middle-class, youth and the capital region, saying it fails to prioritize vulnerable groups in housing welfare. ^[5] MOLIT's 2027 housing budget rises 14.5% to 44 trillion won from 38.4 trillion won in 2026. ^[6] Maeil Business Newspaper reported on Aug 13, 2026 that Dongdaemun-gu prices rose 0.42% in the first week of August, 1.7 times the Seoul average. ^[7] The previous high for the same unit type was 930 million won, recorded on July 11, 2026. ^[8]