South Korean actress Seo Hyun-Jin has reportedly become the victim of a massive jeonse (rental deposit) scam, potentially facing a loss of billions of Korean won. The star, recently seen in The Trunk alongside Gong Yoo, is struggling to recover a significant deposit from a luxury villa she rented in Gangnam, Seoul.
According to reports, court auction records from South Korea’s Supreme Court revealed that Seo filed for an auction in April 2025 after her landlord failed to return the deposit upon lease expiration. Seo initially signed the lease in April 2020, placing a deposit of 2.50 billion KRW (approximately $1.81 million), which was renewed in 2022, increasing the deposit to 2.65 billion KRW (around $1.92 million).
Despite her leaseholder rights being formally registered, Seo’s landlord did not return the deposit after the lease ended. She completed the leasehold registration process in September 2024 and vacated the villa, later initiating court-led auction proceedings in hopes of recovering her funds.
However, the villa has been designated a “Kkangtong House” — a term referring to properties with loan and deposit values exceeding their market worth. The first auction round failed to attract buyers. The minimum bid has now been lowered to 2.30 billion KRW ($1.66 million), significantly below Seo's original deposit, raising concerns about a major financial loss.
Similar cases have been reported across South Korea amid fluctuating property values.
Seo Hyun-Jin is widely recognized for her performances in Another Miss Oh, Dr. Romantic, The Beauty Inside, and Why Her. She is set to make her return to television with the upcoming drama Love Me.
