The Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, where large-scale semiconductor investment totaling 895 trillion won is planned, is seeing rising expectations, as property markets in the Jeolla and Chungcheong regions draw attention as beneficiaries of the "three mega-projects" jointly pursued by the government and large corporations. With large-scale job creation anticipated, analysts expect a positive impact on local housing prices as well.
According to the relevant industry on the 10th, the impact of the semiconductor industry boom on nearby housing markets has spread beyond southern Gyeonggi Province—including Dongtan in Hwaseong, Giheung in Yongin, and Godeok International New City in Pyeongtaek—to major cities in the Chungcheong region such as Cheonan, Asan, and Cheongju. Cities adjacent to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix semiconductor plants are gaining attention as residential hubs for workers, driving housing demand and price increases.
The property market in the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City is also changing. According to the July presale outlook index released by the Korea Housing Industry Research Institute, Gwangju's presale outlook index rose 32.6 points from the previous month to 88.2, the largest increase in the country. Interest is particularly high in Cheomdan District 3, which will serve as one pillar of the region's semiconductor cluster. Cheomdan District 3, being developed as a self-sufficient advanced complex city, already houses a national AI data center and startup support facilities, and is set to accommodate the National Center for Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases and an AI cluster complex, among others. The Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) and Chosun University's advanced industry-academia campus are also located there, giving the area rich industry-academia-research infrastructure.
Amkor Technology Korea, a world-leading semiconductor back-end (packaging) company, is located in the nearby Gwangju Cheomdan Science National Industrial Complex. The company recently announced an additional investment plan worth 1 trillion won to expand its Gwangju plant, raising hopes for the expansion of the semiconductor industry ecosystem. If linkages between production facilities and back-end companies expand, this is likely to add momentum to building a Gwangju semiconductor cluster spanning research and development through production and packaging.
Cheomdan District 3 is drawing attention as a residential hub for such companies, and the presale market for new complexes such as "Hillstate Cheomdan Central," "Cheomdan Jeil Punggyeongchae Grand Foret," and "Cheomdan Punggyeongchae Urbanity"—all slated for move-in in October—is also moving. According to nearby real estate agencies, some presale rights that had previously formed negative premiums are now attracting premiums, and there have been many cases of sellers withdrawing listings or raising asking prices.
Expectations are also continuing in the presale market. "Hoban Summit Cheomdan District 3," supplied last month, recorded first-priority average competition ratios of 6.2 to 1 for the A7 block and 1.1 to 1 for the A8 block, and showed a high contract rate in the recent formal contracting.
As the effectively last housing site district in the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, Cheomdan District 3 is entering the final stage of new supply, highlighting its scarcity. For example, "Cheomdan District 3 A6 Block Jeil Punggyeongchae," to be launched in August, is the last private-sale apartment within the district subject to the price ceiling system. The A6 block will be built with one basement level and up to 20 above-ground floors, comprising 11 buildings, units ranging from 84㎡ to 129㎡ of exclusive area, and a total of 638 households. Together with Cheomdan Jeil Punggyeongchae Grand Foret (1,845 households) and Cheomdan Punggyeongchae Urbanity (584 households), both slated for move-in in October, it forms a brand town of 3,067 households, with nationwide subscription available.
"With growing expectations for building a Gwangju semiconductor cluster centered on Cheomdan District 3, inquiries from prospective subscribers have increased significantly," an official in the presale industry said. "Inquiries are continuing from all over the country, including the Seoul metropolitan area, and we are feeling the heat of the semiconductor issue."
