Korean Real Estate Registry: Section Gap vs. Section Eul
Think of it as a house's medical chart: one page shows the true owner and legal injuries, while the other lists the debts and financial burdens weighing it down.
Definition In South Korea's official Real Estate Title Register (*deunggi-bu deungbon*), Gap-gu (Section A) and Eul-gu (Section B) are the core records of legal rights. Gap-gu proves who legally owns the property and whether it faces ownership disputes, while Eul-gu details all mortgages and financial claims (*geun-jeodang*) secured against the home.
Gap-gu: Verifying the Real Owner and Warning Flags
Just like checking someone's ID before making an important deal, reviewing Gap-gu is your first essential step when renting or buying a home in Korea. Gap-gu documents the complete chronological history of ownership, tracking every legal transfer from the original developer to the current landlord.
When signing a rental contract (*jeonse* or monthly lease), always confirm that the final owner's name and registration number listed at the bottom of Gap-gu match the ID of the landlord in front of you. If an agent attends the signing, Gap-gu is the benchmark to ensure they hold a legitimate power of attorney from the registered owner.
Gap-gu also exposes financial distress. If you see terms like provisional attachment (*ga-amryu*, asset freeze due to unpaid debt), provisional registration (*ga-deunggi*), or auction commencement (*gyeongmae gaesi gyeoljeong*), the home is at high risk of a court foreclosure auction. Unless these entries have been officially crossed out and cancelled, entering a lease is dangerous.
Eul-gu: The Receipt for Debts Secured by the Property
Before lending money to someone, you would want to know how much they already owe to others. Similarly, Eul-gu records non-ownership rights, specifically the debts and liens where the home serves as collateral. If the owner bought the property entirely with their own cash without any loans, Eul-gu will be completely blank.
The most common entry in Eul-gu is a collateral mortgage (*geun-jeodang*). When a homeowner takes out a mortgage, the lending bank registers this lien. The recorded figure, called the maximum claim amount (*chaegwon choego-aek*), is the ceiling amount the bank can claim first if the borrower defaultsโusually set at 120% to 130% of the actual loan principal to account for unpaid interest.
When renting, always add this maximum claim amount to your deposit. If the combined sum exceeds 70% to 80% of the home's market value, your deposit is at risk. If the property gets foreclosed, the bank registered earlier in Eul-gu collects its money first, which can wipe out your deposit.
The Bigger Picture: Priority Numbers and the Title Header
Picture a race where runners receive medals strictly in the order they cross the finish line. In a property registry, registration dates and priority numbers (*sunwi beonho*) determine the legal order of repayment. Within the same Eul-gu section, a lower number gets paid first. Between different sectionsโsuch as a tax seizure in Gap-gu versus a bank loan in Eul-guโthe earlier registration timestamp wins.
However, checking Gap-gu and Eul-gu alone does not guarantee total safety. Unpaid national or local taxes owed by the landlord may not show up immediately on the registry, yet government tax liens can jump ahead of tenant deposits during a court auction. Asking the landlord for a certificate of tax payment clearance is a smart safeguard.
Finally, always inspect Pyoje-bu (the property description header). Verify that the building number, unit number, and floor area in Pyoje-bu perfectly match the physical apartment and your lease agreement to ensure full legal protection under Korean tenancy laws.
๐ค Common misconceptions
If Eul-gu is completely blank, the rental property is 100% risk-free.
Even with a clean Eul-gu, the landlord may carry delinquent national or local taxes, which take priority over tenant deposits during an auction. Because tax arrears do not immediately appear on the registry, you should ask for a tax clearance certificate to confirm.
๐งบ Where you meet it
Gap-gu verifies the true property owner and legal disputes, while Eul-gu details mortgages and secured debts tied to the home.