The most fundamental tool for protecting the deposit in a jeonse contract is the registry certificate (deunggibu deungbon, 등기부등본). Anyone can view it at the Supreme Court Internet Registry Office for 700 KRW or obtain a printed copy for 1,000 KRW, and knowing how to read just three sections — the Title Section (pyojaebu), Section A (gapgu), and Section B (eulgu) — reveals most red flags before signing. After jeonse fraud became a major social problem, Korea Housing & Urban Guarantee Corp. (HUG) began providing pre-contract verification guidance through its Jeonse Fraud Prevention Center. Based on HUG and KB guidance materials, here is what to look at, where, and in what order.
Title Section — Does the Address and Area Match the Contract?
The Title Section contains basic information about the property: location, area, and designated use. The HUG Jeonse Fraud Prevention Center advises starting by confirming that the registry description matches the actual unit you intend to lease. In buildings with separate unit numbers — such as multi-unit residential buildings (daesedae/dagagu) — if the unit number shown in the contract differs from the registry, problems can arise when trying to protect the deposit later. The designated use of the building (whether it is truly residential) is also checked at this stage. The registry is like the property's ID — if this information is misaligned, every subsequent verification step is wasted.
Section A — Is the Owner the Same Person You Are Contracting With?
Section A (gapgu) is the record of ownership. The most recent entry in order is the current owner, and in principle a lease contract must be signed with that person. KB Think guidance recommends cross-referencing the owner's personal information in Section A against the landlord's ID at the time of signing. If a representative appears instead, the items requiring verification expand to include a power of attorney and a notarized seal certificate.
The red flags to read in Section A are restrictions attached to the ownership. Registrations such as seizure (apnyu), provisional attachment (gaapnyu), provisional registration (gadeunggi), provisional disposition (gachobun), commencement of auction (gyeongmaegaesijeolon), or trust registration (sindak) signal that an ownership dispute or enforcement proceeding may be in progress. HUG guidance also emphasizes not rushing into a contract with such registrations present until the facts are clearly confirmed. In particular, if a trust registration appears, many experts point out that you must also review the trust deed (sindakwonbu) to confirm whether the registry's listed owner is a trust company and who actually holds the right to lease.
Section B — Mortgage Liens and Maximum Claim Amount Calculations
Section B (eulgu) records rights other than ownership. The most common is a mortgage lien (근저당권, geunjeodan-gkwon). When a property is pledged as collateral for a loan, a mortgage lien is registered, and the registered maximum claim amount (채권최고액, chaekkwon-choegosaek) is larger than the actual loan amount. If the mortgage registration date precedes my resident registration (jeonip-singo) and confirmed date (hwakjeong-ilcha), and the property goes to auction, that creditor gets paid before my deposit.
Using KB's guidance, if the sum of the maximum mortgage claim amount and my jeonse deposit exceeds the current market value of the property, this is what is known as a "junk jeonse" (kangtongjeonse) danger zone. Additional warning signs include multiple creditors appearing in succession in Section B (indicating multiple encumbrances), and a tenant's lease registration (임차권등기, imchakkwon-deunggi) left by a prior tenant — because such a registration is made when a tenant who has not received their deposit back moves out.
It is also important to remember that my deposit's priority is not fully established from the registry alone. A tenant who takes possession and completes resident registration acquires standing to enforce against the property (daehang-ryeok), and adding a confirmed date also gives priority repayment rights (useon-byonjejekkwon). Ultimately, the chronological relationship between the registry's mortgage registration date and my resident registration date and confirmed date determines the order of distribution in auction. For multi-unit houses (dagagu), there is one more variable not visible in the registry. HUG advises confirming the size of prior tenants' senior-ranking deposits, because if the entire building goes to auction, those tenants get paid first.
| Section | Items to Check | Red Flags |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Location, area, designated use | Mismatch with contract information |
| Section A | Current owner's personal information | Seizure, provisional attachment, provisional registration, provisional disposition, trust registration |
| Section B | Mortgage lien, maximum claim amount | Max claim + deposit exceeds market value, multiple encumbrances, tenant's lease registration |
Two Things Commonly Missed When Obtaining the Registry
First, request it "including cancelled records" (malso-sahang poham). Past mortgage liens, provisional attachments, and auction histories that have since been removed are displayed, allowing you to read what debt history this property and owner have gone through. KB guidance also lists checking the "include cancelled records" box as a mandatory item when obtaining the registry.
Second, do not look at it only once. The registry can change at any time after the contract date. Cases have occurred where new mortgage liens were registered between signing and final payment, so it is necessary to check the registry separately before the contract and again immediately before making the final payment, looking for any changes. It is also worth knowing the difference between viewing and obtaining. Viewing (700 KRW) is for confirming content on screen, while obtaining (1,000 KRW) produces a printed document that can be submitted. Either way, the Supreme Court Internet Registry Office allows anyone who knows the address to look up the property — the owner's permission is not required.
What you need to see in a registry certificate is not only the rights recorded today — it extends to the rights that may be recorded between the contract date and the final payment date.
Checklist
Items for end-users to verify before signing:
- Did you obtain the registry with cancelled records included — Internet Registry Office: 1,000 KRW to obtain, 700 KRW to view
- Do the address, unit number, and area in the Title Section exactly match the contract?
- Is the final owner in Section A the same person (verified by ID) as your contracting party?
- Are there any seizure, provisional attachment, provisional registration, provisional disposition, or trust registrations in Section A?
- Does the sum of the maximum mortgage claim amount in Section B and your deposit not exceed the market value?
- For a multi-unit house, have you confirmed the size of prior tenants' senior-ranking deposits?
- Did you view the registry again immediately before final payment to check for any registrations added since the contract date?
