Seoul has the highest concentration and proportion of multi-unit buildings in Korea, making sound management a critical policy issue. As of December 2024, Seoul had 129,643 multi-unit buildings, accounting for 23.3% of the national total, the second-largest share after Gyeonggi Province. Seoul also shows the fastest growth rate in multi-unit buildings nationwide. By 2025, over 40% of approved buildings in Seoul are multi-unit buildings, and 43.1% fall under priority management categories such as small-scale or mixed-use residential buildings.
Residential multi-unit buildings are governed under a dual legal system: large apartment complexes are regulated by the Apartment Housing Management Act, while most others fall under the Act on the Ownership and Management of Multi-Unit Buildings. The latter is largely private-law–based, giving local governments limited authority to supervise or resolve disputes. This structural limitation has contributed to persistent conflicts, including excessive management fees and unilateral management practices, with a rising number of complaints submitted to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Seoul receives approximately 3,100 complaints annually, concentrated around five major dispute areas: management fees, common area use and alterations, management association governance, building rules and bylaws,