Korea Real Estate vs Public-Interest Investment Immigration: Thresholds and F-5 Rules

When choosing Korean investment immigration, first compare what you invest in (designated real estate, or a public-interest fund or development project), the threshold, and what "holding the investment" for five years means. Real estate investment immigration means buying and holding tourism or resort property in areas set by Ministry of Justice notice; public-interest investment immigration means depositing in a Korea Development Bank public fund or investing in a designated development project. Both start with residence (F-2) and allow an application for permanent residence (F-5) after holding the investment for five years or more. This comparison follows the Ministry of Justice stay manual (September 2026 edition).

Key points

Real estate: areas, targets and amounts under Ministry of Justice Notice No. 2026-29; the property must be held without lease, mortgage or seizure.
Public-interest: KRW 1.5 billion or more (general), KRW 3 billion or more (high-value, deposit type only). There is a deposit type and an equity type.
Amounts in both programs can be combined, and periods can be combined to reach five years (general public-interest investors need at least two years in the public-interest program).
In the public-interest program, the investment counts as held as long as the threshold is not withdrawn, regardless of any loss of principal.
Both require your own overseas funds sent in your own name, and both use the same disqualifying grounds.

How do the two programs differ at a glance?

Item	Tourism and resort (real estate)	Public-interest
Basis	Ministry of Justice Notice No. 2026-29 (areas, targets, thresholds)	Investment targets set by the Minister of Justice
Investment	Ownership registration of a designated property, or a resort membership	Interest-free deposit in a Korea Development Bank public fund (deposit type), or equity in a designated development project (equity type)
Threshold	Set by notice	KRW 1.5 billion or more (general), KRW 3 billion or more (high-value, deposit type only)
Residence status	F-2-8 (investor), F-2-81 (family)	F-2-12 and related
Permanent residence	F-5-17 (investor), F-5-19 (spouse and unmarried children)	F-5-21 (general), F-5-23 (retirement), F-5-22 (spouse and unmarried children)
Prior review	Immigration office with jurisdiction over the property	Ministry of Justice Global Talent Visa Center, or Jeju office (for Jeju residents)
Below the threshold	F-1 if USD 100,000 or KRW 100 million or more was paid as down and interim payments	No such rule

How is the investment managed in each program?

In real estate investment immigration, the investment is an actual property. The manual requires that the property not be leased, mortgaged or seized and not be used for profit-making activity, so it does not fit a plan to earn rental income during the holding period.

Public-interest investment immigration has two types. The deposit type places funds interest-free in a public fund run by the Korea Development Bank on behalf of the Ministry of Justice, and the deposits are lent to small and medium-sized companies at low rates. The equity type invests in a regional development project (a tourism-centered enterprise city) designated by the Minister of Justice with related ministries, which the manual classifies as a type where gains or losses occur. The high-value program (KRW 3 billion or more) applies only to the deposit type.

What does "holding the investment for five years" mean in each program?

Both: The test for F-5 is holding the investment continuously for a total of five years on residence status, not five years of "stay."
Real estate: The property must be held for five years or more without losing the requirement through leasing or mortgaging. If the requirement was lost midway, earlier periods are added from the point it was restored.
Public-interest: As long as the investor does not withdraw the threshold amount, the investment counts as held, regardless of any loss of principal from the agency's fund management.
Switching: Real estate and public-interest periods can be combined to reach five years, but a general public-interest investor (F-5-21) needs at least two years in the public-interest program.

How should you choose between them?

Size of funds — Public-interest starts at KRW 1.5 billion; for real estate, check the amount in the notice. Combining both programs to meet the public-interest threshold is also possible (the public-interest deposit must then be at least KRW 5 million).
Whether you will use the property — If you want to own and use a property, look at real estate; if you do not want funds tied to a property, look at public-interest.
Tolerance for changes in principal — The equity type is classified in the manual as a type where gains or losses occur. Investors must check the profitability and risk of any product themselves.
Retirement plans — The public-interest program has a retirement investor route (F-5-23), which requires domestic assets of KRW 300 million or more in addition to the investment.
How you will stay — For public-interest investors who prefer frequent visits rather than residence, the manual provides for a three-year multiple-entry visa (C-3).

In both programs the review standards (own overseas capital sent in your own name) and disqualifying grounds (domestic and foreign criminal records, deportation or departure orders and so on) are the same. Common refusal points are covered in our article on investment immigration refusal reasons.

Official sources (checked against the original text)

Ministry of Justice Stay Manual by Status (September 2026), Residence (F-2) 6: tourism and resort investors (F-2-8, F-2-81) — underlying notice (No. 2026-29), basic policy, prior review, F-1 rule, review standards (no lease, mortgage or seizure), filing office
Same manual, Residence (F-2) 7: public-interest investors (F-2-12, 13, 14) — investment types (deposit and equity), thresholds (KRW 1.5 billion general, KRW 3 billion high-value), combined investment (minimum deposit KRW 5 million), three-year C-3 visa, prior review offices, offices handling status changes
Same manual, Permanent Residence (F-5) 12 and 14 — F-5-17/19 and F-5-21/22/23 requirements, five years of holding, combining periods (public-interest at least two years), holding regardless of loss of principal, KRW 300 million domestic assets for retirement investors
Checked on 3 October 2026 against the current statutes on law.go.kr and the Ministry of Justice manuals (September 2026 edition). Rules change often, so confirm again right before you apply.

How A-One Administrative Agency can help

A-One Administrative Agency compares the requirements of both programs, prepares and files documents for prior review, residence (F-2) and permanent residence (F-5), and organizes proof of fund transfers. We do not assess the profitability or risk of investment products; real estate contract review and disputes are attorney work, and taxes are handled by tax accountants.

Frequently asked questions

Q. What is the threshold for real estate investment immigration?

The manual states that areas, targets and thresholds are set by Ministry of Justice Notice No. 2026-29. They can differ by area and property, so check the notice and whether the property is designated before signing.

Q. What is the difference between the deposit type and the equity type?

The deposit type places funds interest-free in a Korea Development Bank public fund; the equity type invests in a designated development project (a tourism-centered enterprise city). The manual classifies the equity type as one where gains or losses occur, and the KRW 3 billion high-value program applies only to the deposit type.

Q. Can I split my investment between real estate and public-interest?

Yes. If the combined amount meets the public-interest threshold, residence status is granted, provided the public-interest deposit is at least KRW 5 million. Periods can also be combined, but general public-interest investors need at least two years in the public-interest program.

Q. If the public-interest fund loses principal, do I lose the F-5 requirement?

The manual treats the investment as held, regardless of any loss of principal from the agency's management, as long as the investor does not withdraw the threshold amount.

Q. If I invest below the threshold, do I get no status at all?

In the real estate program, a person who paid at least USD 100,000 or KRW 100 million of their own funds as down and interim payments is eligible for visiting and joining family (F-1). That is different from residence (F-2).

Q. Which program fits someone retiring to Korea?

The public-interest program has a retirement investor route (F-5-23). At the F-5 stage it requires domestic assets of at least KRW 300 million held by the investor or spouse in addition to the investment; overseas assets do not count.