Hello, this is 속초어때 (Sokcho Eottae). It is 8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 30, and Sokcho (속초) is clear at 24°C. Today's high was 28°C and the low was 18°C, with a 22% chance of rain. At Cheongchoho Lake (청초호), a chrysanthemum exhibition opened this evening at 6:30 p.m. with a lighting ceremony, and the Daepo Port (대포항) observatory is still very crowded right now. Separately from these events, Sokcho City Hall quietly issued an announcement today: the official prices of 236 individual houses as of June 1, 2026.
The number is small, so it is easy to dismiss this as having nothing to do with you. But if you own one of these 236 houses, there is something you need to check during exactly 30 days, starting today. Below we lay out, in order, who is affected, what to check, and by when you need to act.
Why only 236 houses: only homes that changed early this year are reassessed
Individual house prices are usually announced once a year at the end of April, based on January 1. Most detached and multi-household houses in Sokcho already had their prices for this year set at that time. Today's June 1 reference-date announcement is an additional announcement that separately prices houses whose circumstances changed after that.
It covers houses where one of the following happened between January 1 and May 31, 2026.
- Newly built houses (new construction)
- Houses that were extended or underwent major repairs
- Buildings whose use was changed to residential
- Houses whose land was subdivided or merged
For example, if you newly built a detached house in Nohak-dong (노학동) or Joyang-dong (조양동) this spring and received a use approval, or filed an extension report after adding a room to an old house, you are likely to be affected. The same applies if you divided your parents' land into separate lots. Conversely, if nothing changed with your house this year, this announcement has nothing to do with you, and the price announced in April stays as it is.
For reference, prices for multi-unit housing (apartments, row houses, multi-family houses) with the same reference date can also be viewed and objected to during the same period. If you moved into a new apartment in the first half of this year, it is a good idea to check that as well.
A single official price affects your taxes and even your health insurance premiums
Many people think of the official price as just a reference number, but in reality it is the starting point for many calculations. Kim Yu-in, head of the Sokcho City Tax Division, also said today, "Individual house prices are used to calculate various taxes and health insurance premiums, so we urge residents to check them and file objections within the period."
- It is the basis for setting the tax base of local taxes such as property tax.
- It is reflected in the property score used to calculate health insurance premiums for locally insured members.
- It is used as the standard for assessing a house's value in inheritance and gifts.
- It is used as property assessment data when determining eligibility for welfare programs such as the basic pension.
However, since each program applies it differently and at different times, a slight rise or fall in the official price does not change every burden by the same proportion. Still, once it is finalized it is hard to reverse, so if something seems off, the surest approach is to speak up within the objection period. In particular, people who moved down to Sokcho after retirement and built a new house often switch from employee-insured to locally insured status, so it is worth checking how this affects your health insurance premiums.
Checking takes 5 minutes: just enter your address on 부동산공시가격알리미
You can view your house's price in two ways.
- Online: Go to 부동산공시가격알리미 (Budongsan Gongsi Gagyeok Allimi, realtyprice.kr), choose the official price for individual detached houses, select June 1, 2026 as the reference date, then enter Sokcho-si, Gangwon State, and your address.
- In person: You can view it at the Sokcho City Hall Tax Division. Inquiries are handled by the Tax Division's Assessment and Valuation Team.
When checking, the trick is not to look only at the price but to compare it with similar houses in the neighborhood. If there is a large gap compared with detached houses on the same street of similar age and similar land area, the building area or land conditions may have been entered incorrectly during the calculation. Cases where the extended area is missing, or where the pre-subdivision area still remains, actually come up frequently in objections.
Objections are due by Thursday, October 29, and City Hall is open on only 19 days
The period is 30 days, from today, September 30, through Thursday, October 29. It looks generous, but the calendar tells a different story. National Foundation Day on October 3 falls on a Saturday, so Monday the 5th is a substitute holiday, and Friday the 9th is Hangeul Day. Excluding weekends and holidays, there are 19 weekdays from October 1 to 29 when the City Hall counters are open. On top of that, the Seorak Cultural Festival (설악문화제) runs October 2–4, and with the autumn foliage season bringing in visitors, early October is a busy time for residents too.
Here is how to file.
- For individual houses, fill out an objection form and submit it to the Sokcho City Hall Tax Division. Not only owners but also legally interested parties can file.
- 부동산공시가격알리미 also has an online objection menu, so if it is hard to get to the counter, check there first.
- If sending by mail, it is safer to use registered mail, which leaves a record of the receipt date, so you do not miss the deadline.
On the form, what matters is not the feeling that it is "too expensive" but the grounds. Specifically stating the official prices of similar nearby houses, the actual area on the building register, and conditions that lower the price, such as road frontage or slope, makes your case more persuasive in the review.
Results within 30 days after the deadline, with the Real Estate Price Disclosure Committee reviewing again
Objections received will be decided after review by the Real Estate Price Disclosure Committee, and Sokcho City plans to notify applicants of the results within 30 days after the filing period ends. Based on the October 29 deadline, you will receive an answer before the end of November at the latest. If an adjustment is accepted, the price will be announced again; if it is kept as is, you will be notified of the reason along with it.
For reference, this official price was calculated based on standard house prices, reflecting each house's characteristics, and has already gone through verification by the Korea Real Estate Board, collection of owners' opinions, and committee review once. So vague dissatisfaction alone is unlikely to change it, and the specific grounds mentioned above will determine the outcome.
Also take care of this tonight: the property tax payment deadline is today
While we are on the subject of official prices, one more thing. The payment deadline is today, September 30, for Sokcho City's September regular property tax: 41,251 bills totaling 12.9 billion KRW. Bank counters are already closed, but you can still pay via 위택스 (Wetax), internet banking, or a virtual account. A penalty is added if you miss the deadline, so if you tucked your bill away in a drawer, check it right now. 속초어때 has mentioned this schedule several times, but since today is the last day, we are reminding you once more.
For visitors: here is Sokcho this evening
This article was mainly for residents, but here is a status update for those currently in Sokcho.
- Weather: Clear at 24°C, dropping to around 18°C overnight. There is nearly a 10°C difference from the daytime, so bring a jacket.
- Sea: Water temperature 23.2°C, wave height 0.6 m, calm. However, the beaches have already closed for the season and there are no lifeguards, so it is best to refrain from going in the water.
- Crowds: The Daepo Port observatory is very crowded, and 한화리조트 설악 워터피아 (Hanwha Resort Seorak Waterpia) is crowded. Cheongchoho Lake is at a moderate level, so it is a good time to see the chrysanthemum exhibition whose lights were just switched on today.
- Traffic: Misiryeong-ro (미시령로, toward Seoul) and Donghae-daero (동해대로) are slow, while Seoraksan-ro (설악산로) is flowing smoothly. If you are heading back to Seoul tonight, allow a little extra time for the downtown section.
Today we looked at Sokcho's individual house prices as of June 1 and how to file an objection. Did you find it useful? If you built or renovated a house in the first half of this year, we recommend entering your address on 부동산공시가격알리미 sometime this week. We will be back next time with even more useful information.
