[Real Estate Investment] 'GTX-A' Paju Unjeong to Seoul Station Opening by Year-End... Beware of 'House Price Volatility'

Ministry of Land Starts Test Operation Since Last Month
Final Inspections Until the 15th
Opening Will Cut Unjeongjungang~Seoul Station Travel Time to 20 Minutes

Residents Near Ilsan Daegok Station in Unjeong New Town
Seoul Commuters Cheer

House Prices Uncertain... Some Areas Even Declined
Experts Warn "Transportation Benefits Already Priced In... Caution Needed for Investment"

Real estate transactions in the areas surrounding the Gyeonggi Paju~Seoul Station section of the Metropolitan Area Express Train (GTX) Line A are heating up ahead of its scheduled opening at the end of the year. Transactions are actively taking place mainly in beneficiary areas such as Paju and Ilsan, where accessibility to Seoul is improving. However, experts advise cautious investment, considering other conditions such as surrounding infrastructure, especially if the property is not for actual residence, since the transportation benefits have already been reflected in housing prices.

Test runs until the 15th... "If no issues, opening within the year"

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is conducting final inspections for the opening of the GTX-A Paju~Seoul Station section. On the 16th of last month, they began the final stage before opening, the operational test run. This is the last procedure to check for any issues while running the train on the tracks before the official opening. The inspections will continue until the 15th of this month. The Korea Transportation Safety Authority will also inspect the safety of the section until the 6th. If no problems arise during this process, the GTX-A Paju~Seoul Station section is scheduled to open as planned by the end of this month. A Ministry of Land official said, "We are doing our best to open it within the year."

The section to be opened this time includes Unjeongjungang, Kintex, Daegok, Yeonsinnae, and Seoul Station. The total length is 46 km, and Goyang Changneung Station, located between Daegok Station and Yeonsinnae Station, is planned to begin operation next year in line with the development of the Changneung district. The GTX-A line is divided into two routes: the Suseo~Dongtan section, which opened in March this year, and the Paju Unjeongjungang~Seoul Station section to be opened this time. The railway connecting these two sections to Samsung Station has not yet been completed. The Ministry plans to build the railway through Samsung Station by next year and open the entire line by 2028.

This will be a significant benefit for those living near the starting point of the line, Paju Unjeong New Town, and Ilsan Daegok Station, who commute to Seoul. Previously, it took up to an hour to reach Seoul Station from Paju Unjeong New Town using existing metropolitan buses and subways. However, with the opening of GTX-A, it will take only 20 minutes to reach Seoul Station. Once connected to Samsung Station in 2028, it will be possible to reach Gangnam from Paju and Ilsan without transfers.

Paju Unjeong New Town and Ilsan Daegok Station area identified as beneficiary regions... active transactions

In Paju, apartment transactions are active around Dongpaedong and Mokdongdong near Unjeongjungang Station. Hillsstate Unjeong in Mokdongdong recorded a total of 135 transactions from early this year until last month. The adjacent complex, Unjeong Central Prugio, saw 84 transactions, and Unjeong New Town I-Park had 97 ownership changes. Complexes scheduled to begin occupancy from next year are also worth noting. In August, Unjeong Dietre Central (292 households) will be occupied. In early 2026, Unjeong Jaiseug Signature (988 households) and Mulhyanggi Village Complex 10 (1012 households), both near Unjeongjungang Station, are scheduled for occupancy. Jeil Punggyeongchae Unjeong, located right next to the station, is planned to be occupied in April 2027. A local real estate agent said, "Once GTX-A opens and the planned complexes gradually come in, the atmosphere of the Unjeong district will change significantly."

In Ilsan, apartments in Todangdong and Hwajeongdong are closest to using GTX-A Daegok Station. Representative complexes include Daegok Station Lotte Castle El Classy and Starlight Village Complexes 7 to 10. Starlight Village Complex 9 has seen active transactions with 71 cases this year. However, these complexes are about a 20-minute walk to Daegok Station, so it is necessary to carefully check bus connection routes and other factors.

Near Yeonsinnae Station, redevelopment areas should be closely watched. Currently, Eunpyeong-gu is mainly considered a residential area for commuting to Jongno or Gwanghwamun, but with the opening of GTX-A, it will become an area where commuting to downtown Seoul or Gangnam is possible. In particular, Galhyeon 1 District is within walking distance of GTX-A Yeonsinnae Station. Relocation has been completed, and demolition is underway. General sales are expected soon. Redevelopment is also underway near Dokbawi Station, one stop from Yeonsinnae Station. The Dokbawi Station redevelopment is likely to be completed around 2028 when Samsung Station opens. Other representative redevelopment areas include Neunggok New Town and Bulgwang 5 District.

Housing prices fluctuate... "For actual residence rather than investment"

Experts advise cautious investment as transportation conditions are expected to improve soon but have already been reflected in housing prices. In fact, housing prices in beneficiary areas are volatile. Prices that hit record highs one day drop by 20 to 30 million KRW the next day during transactions. For example, a Hillsstate Unjeong apartment in Paju with an exclusive area of 84㎡ was sold for 730 million KRW on October 7, marking the highest actual transaction price this year, but three days later, it was traded for 13 million KRW less at 717 million KRW. The Paju Unjeong New Town I-Park with an exclusive area of 84㎡ saw its price drop from 785 million KRW in October to 737 million KRW in November. In Ilsan Hwajeongdong Starlight Village Complex 9 (exclusive 84㎡), eight transactions occurred in November alone, with prices fluctuating between a minimum of 529 million KRW and a maximum of 598 million KRW. According to the Korea Real Estate Board, the price increase rate in Deokyang-gu, Goyang City, where Daegok Station is located, has been slowing for four consecutive weeks.

Dongtan New Town, considered a beneficiary area of the GTX-A Suseo~Dongtan section opened in March this year, has also seen the effect of transportation benefits wane. The Dongtan Station Lotte Castle with an exclusive area of 102㎡ recorded a record high price of 2.2 billion KRW before the opening, attracting market attention. Compared to 1.63 billion KRW for the same area in March last year, it rose by nearly 600 million KRW in one year. However, this transaction was confirmed to have been canceled. As of the last transaction in August, the actual transaction price for the same area was 1.98 billion KRW.

Experts advise that since transportation benefits are likely already reflected in housing prices, other factors should be considered when investing rather than for actual residence. Yoon Sumin, a real estate specialist at NH Nonghyup Bank, said, "Transportation benefits are most reflected in housing prices at the time of announcement and may rise once more during construction and opening. If you are considering investment, you should decide by considering other factors that could raise housing prices, such as surrounding infrastructure."