A lease where the tenant hands the landlord a single large deposit — typically 50 to 80 percent of the property value — and pays no monthly rent. The deposit is returned at the end of the term.

A monthly-rent lease with a deposit, typically ten to twenty times the monthly rent, often ten to fifty million won.

Is a short lease possible in Korea?

By law a residential lease under two years is treated as two years unless the tenant requests otherwise. Furnished monthly rentals are a separate category that starts at one month.

Jeonse vs Wolse Explained for Foreigners — Korean Rental System (2026)

The three structures

Type	Deposit up front	Monthly rent	Usual term
전세 Jeonse	50–80% of the property value	None	2 years
반전세 Ban-jeonse	Large lump sum	Reduced	2 years
월세 Wolse	10–20× the rent (₩10,000,000–₩50,000,000)	Yes	1–2 years
Furnished monthly	Usually none (2% of 19,008)	Yes, all-in	From 1 month

Why the deposit is the real barrier

In most countries two months' rent secures a flat. A Korean wolse deposit is typically ten to twenty times the monthly rent, held by a landlord you met once. Protecting it means registering your address and having the contract date-stamped at a district office, in Korean, within your first weeks. Skip that and the money has no legal priority if the landlord runs into trouble.

Why the agent cannot really help

Licensed agents are paid a percentage of the transaction, work in Korean, and use a standard form written for Korean tenants. A nine-month exchange semester and a two-year standard lease simply do not fit together.

Skip the lease entirely.

Furnished homes from one month, booked in English, deposit rarely required.

See the homes →

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Figures from our own index of 19,008 homes, re-checked daily. Last updated 2026-08-30.