The number of housing transactions reached an all-time high last year due to frenzied chase after housing amid lack of supplies and regulations that fanned prices to multiple-year highs.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Tuesday that the number of home sales and purchases came at around 1.28 million in 2020, up 58.9 percent from the previous year. It marked the largest-ever figure since related data became available in 2006.

Housing trade swelled 61.1 percent from a year ago to 642,628 in Seoul and its surrounding areas and 56.7 percent to 636,677 in the rest of the country.

In December alone, housing transactions totaled 140,281 across the nation, up 20.1 percent from a month ago and 18.5 percent from a year ago.

House trades in the capital region rose 53.7 percent on month and 1.3 percent on year to 63,203. In Seoul alone, the number grew 60.6 percent on month but fell 26.9 percent on year to 16,190.

Deal volume in other regions came at 77,078, up 1.9 percent on month and 37.5 percent on year.

Contracts for monthly rent and jeonse, long-term lease unique to Korea, increased 5.6 percent from a month ago and 10 percent from a year earlier to 183,230 in December. The figure was up 1.1 percent on month to 121,249 in the Seoul metropolitan area and 15.6 percent to 61,981 in the rest of the nation.

Rent and jeonse transactions for the whole last year grew 12 percent from the previous year to around 2.19 million.

By Choi Mira

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]