Where Are the New Apartments with Excellent Educational Environment?...‘Opo Jai The Obeu’ May Sale

- Apartment Housing Market Popular for Safety Accident-Free Living... Steady Seller in the Sales Market
- GS Construction to Launch 'Opo Jai The Obeu' in May at Gosan District, Gwangju, Gyeonggi

As various safety accidents and social distancing measures threaten children's learning environments, residential areas that allow safe commuting to school are gaining attention.

According to a survey conducted by market research firm Embrain Trend Monitor targeting 1,000 married residents of new towns such as Seoul, Bundang, and Ilsan, 85% of respondents answered "yes" to the question "Are your child's education and environment related?" This indicates that the environment around the home directly affects education.

Such so-called complexes, where schools and homes are close, have long been established as "steady sellers" in the real estate market. Recently, there has been renewed interest, especially among buyers in their 30s and 40s who are concerned about the safety of their young children.

According to the "2019 Second Half Regional Employment Survey on Dual-Income and Single-Person Households" released by Statistics Korea, there are 4.366 million married households with children under 18, and the proportion of dual-income households among them rose by 0.4 percentage points from the previous year to 51.4%.

As the number of dual-income couples with young children increases, the market trend shows a growing preference for complexes that guarantee a safe commuting environment. In particular, since the elementary, middle, and high school education period in Korea lasts 12 years, buyers with young children consider whether elementary, middle, and high schools are nearby as an important selection criterion.

In the real estate market, areas with such pleasant educational environments are leading price trends. Representative academic clusters in the metropolitan area, such as Ilsan, Bundang, and Pyeongchon, where schools and large private academies are concentrated, as well as newly planned residential towns with balanced residential and educational facilities in places like Gyeonggi Gwangju, are attracting buyers' attention.

The Gosan and Taejeon districts in Gyeonggi Gwangju, developed as private land development districts under the first district unit plan in the area, are emerging as representative residential towns in the southeastern Gyeonggi region where academic facilities and housing are harmoniously integrated.

According to Real Estate 114, as of April 2021, the average sale price per 3.3㎡ in Taejeon-dong, Gyeonggi Gwangju, where the Taejeon district is located, has risen significantly, hovering around 20 million KRW. Taejeon district is regarded as a completed land development district with appropriately established elementary, middle, and high schools to accommodate residents' children.

The Gosan district in Gyeonggi Gwangju, which is accelerating its development recently, is also drawing attention as a land development district where academic and residential environments are well balanced. Schools that allow safe walking commutes and academic facilities are planned to be built around the new apartment complexes.

Meanwhile, GS Construction will launch sales in May for "Opo Xi The Ove," located in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. "Opo Xi The Ove" will consist of 895 households in total, with 447 units in six buildings of C-3 block and 448 units in seven buildings of C-4 block, ranging from 62 to 104㎡ in exclusive area, and buildings from two basement floors to 23 floors above ground.

"Opo Xi The Ove" is an apartment complex near a planned elementary school site, allowing children to commute safely. It is expected to attract significant interest from young buyers in their 30s and 40s who are concerned about their children's safety.

The Opo IC on the Sejong-Pocheon Expressway, scheduled to open in 2022, is adjacent to the complex, providing convenient access to Seoul. Residents can enjoy a multi-living zone lifestyle, including the Pangyo and Bundang living areas as well as the nearby Taejeon district, the central living area of Gyeonggi Gwangju.

Various specialized designs will also be applied. These include unit-specific specialized layouts such as pocket terraces, penthouses, and three-sided open plans, as well as community facilities in each block that enhance residents' quality of life.