As most fans know, BTS began investing in real estate around 2018. Today, every member owns luxury residences in some of Seoul's most prestigious neighborhoods, including Nine One Hannam, Hannam The Hill, Forest Trimage, Afer Hangang, Itaewon, and SK Apelbaum.
Among them, Jin and j-hope have built the group's largest real estate portfolios. Jin previously owned three apartments in the ultra-luxury Hannam The Hill complex, with their combined value estimated at around 31.2 billion KRW. Meanwhile, j-hope owns four properties—two units at Trimage and two at Afer Hangang—with an estimated combined value of approximately 48.9 billion KRW.
However, over the past year, the two BTS superstars have begun restructuring their high-value real estate portfolios!
In March last year, j-hope was reported to have sold his 84-square-meter apartment at Trimage for approximately 4 billion KRW, earning an estimated 2.7 billion KRW in capital gains. Jin, meanwhile, is also reported to have completed the sale of his 233-square-meter apartment at Hannam The Hill for 12.7 billion KRW in April this year, generating an impressive 8.21 billion KRW profit after holding the property for about seven years.
The fact that two BTS members sold luxury properties within the same period quickly became a hot topic of discussion. кσяєαn media pointed out that both transactions took place just before South кσяєα officially reinstated its progressive capital gains tax surcharge on owners of multiple homes. According to local reports, this was considered the biggest factor behind Jin and j-hope's decision to reduce their real estate holdings.
As early as last year, there had already been growing expectations that homeowners with multiple properties would once again face the standard capital gains tax rate of 6% to 45%, plus an additional 20% to 30% surcharge, depending on the number of homes they owned. Then, in February this year, the Cabinet approved amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the Income Tax Act, officially ending the temporary suspension of the heavier tax burden on multi-home owners.
Under the revised rules, profits from selling homes located in designated speculative areas—primarily in the Seoul metropolitan region—can now be taxed at rates of up to 75% for individuals who own multiple residential properties. The higher tax rates, which had been suspended for nearly four years under former President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration, officially returned after President Lee Jae Myung emphasized the need to stabilize soaring housing prices and curb real estate speculation, particularly in the greater Seoul area.
Hypothetically, if Jin had continued to own all three of his properties, valued at approximately 31.2 billion KRW, and j-hope had retained all four of his properties, worth around 48.9 billion KRW, the amount of property-related taxes they would have faced is estimated to have been enormous—reportedly comparable to the annual salary of an employee at a major кσяєαn conglomerate. Instead of shouldering such a mαѕѕive tax burden and its αѕѕociated costs, selling the lowest-valued property would not only generate a substantial profit—as in Jin's case, where he earned more than 8 billion KRW—but also significantly reduce the financial burden αѕѕociated with maintaining a large real estate portfolio.
A real estate brokerage expert also described Jin and j-hope's latest property sales as the most optimal strategy for someone who owns multiple homes. According to the expert, although both artists still own several high-value properties after selling one unit each, meaning their tax burden has not disappeared entirely, their overall financial obligations would be considerably lower than if they had kept their entire portfolios intact.
On the other hand, some experts believe taxes may not have been the only motivation. Given BTS's level of wealth and income, they argue that the sales could simply reflect a portfolio restructuring strategy, the fact that the properties were no longer needed for personal use, or plans to acquire even more valuable real estate with stronger long-term investment potential.
Ultimately, the latest reports have once again left fans amazed by both the immense wealth and the remarkable investment acumen of the BTS superstars: "Young, rich, handsome, and smart. They literally have it all", "Seokjin and Hobi really said: Work hard, invest harder", "Making millions in profit while optimizing their taxes? Financial kings!", "Not just talented on stage, but absolute geniuses in business too", "Paying a whole high-level salary just in taxes is crazy... Their wealth is mind-blowing", "Hobi and Jin's financial literacy is unmatched", "Selling at the perfect time before tax hikes... Their mind is huge",...
