Special Supply in Korean Housing Subscriptions: Newlyweds, First-Time Buyers and More

What is special supply, and how is it different?

In Korea's housing subscription system (cheongyak, 청약, the way buyers apply for newly built apartments), special supply (특별공급) is a share of units set aside for groups the government wants to support. In the general supply, everyone competes on points or lottery; in special supply, you compete only against other people who meet the same eligibility rules. That is why newlyweds or single people with a low subscription score can still have a real chance.

Key principles:

• Once per household, for life: in principle a household can win special supply only once (revisions may create exceptions).
• Homeless household: most categories require that no household member owns a home.
• Applying to both: you may apply for special and general supply in the same development, but if you win special supply, a general supply win becomes void.
• Rules differ by development, by public or private housing, and by notice date. Understand the principles here (as of October 2026) and confirm the actual conditions in each notice.

Six types at a glance

Newlyweds

The core group is homeless households within seven years of registering their marriage. Depending on the notice, engaged couples who will register their marriage before moving in and single-parent families with young children may also qualify. Income limits are a percentage of the previous year's average monthly income of urban worker households of the same size, and dual-income couples often get a higher limit. Ranking depends on income bracket, number of children and local residence, and some units may be drawn by lottery for households slightly above the income limit.

First-time buyers

No household member may ever have owned a home. Unlike the newlywed category, couples married longer than seven years can apply. Typical requirements include:

• First priority in the subscription account (private housing) or a minimum savings amount (public housing)
• A history of paying income tax as an employee or self-employed person for a set period, commonly five years or more
• Being married or having unmarried children (some units allow single-person households)
• Meeting the income limit

Because this category relies heavily on lottery, you can win regardless of your points if you qualify. When you later buy, check first-home acquisition tax relief as well.

Multi-child, elderly-parent and institutional recommendation

Multi-child supply is for homeless households with several minor children. A threshold of two or more minor children is now common, but check each notice. Applicants are ranked on a score sheet that adds up the number of children, infants, multi-generation households, years without a home, local residence and account period.

Elderly-parent supply is for homeless heads of household who have supported a parent or grandparent aged 65 or over (including the spouse's) on the same resident registration for three years or more. For private housing, applicants usually need general first priority and are then ranked by the point system, so knowing how points work matters here.

Institutional recommendation covers veterans, people with disabilities, long-serving discharged soldiers, workers at small and medium enterprises, North Korean defectors, multicultural families and others. You must first be recommended by the responsible agency, so start earlier than the notice schedule.

Newborn priority supply

Introduced as a response to Korea's low birth rate, this favors households with a child born within about the last two years as of the notice date (pregnancy and adoption may also count). In public housing it often runs as a separate newborn special supply, while in private housing part of the newlywed and first-time buyer quotas is usually allocated first to newborn households. If you recently had a child, also check newborn special loan eligibility in Find government support.

How to read income and asset rules

Notices rarely give a fixed amount. Instead they say something like "at or below X% of the previous year's average monthly income of urban worker households, by household size". Read it this way:

1. Find the reference year and the household-size table in the notice.
2. Look up the monthly income figure for your household size.
3. Multiply by the percentage for that category (it may differ for dual-income households).
4. Add up the income of all relevant household members and compare.

Asset limits mostly apply to public housing and to lottery units for households above the income limit, and typically look at the value of land, buildings and cars. Because the tables change every year, it is better to plug your numbers into the table in the notice than to memorize figures.

Applying and what to check on Applyhome

1. On Applyhome, check your eligibility (home ownership, household composition, account priority).
2. Read the official notice for the development and confirm the number of units and rules for each special supply type.
3. Apply online on the special supply date, which usually comes before general supply.
4. After winners are announced, submit documents for eligibility checks.
5. Sign the contract, pay the down payment, and manage interim and final payment schedules.