'No hope on my salary': Young South Koreans turn to early investing

진행자: 최정윤, Chelsea Proctor

기사 요약: 그 어느 때보다 빨리 노후 대비를 시작하고 있는 대한민국 청년들, 지금 월급으로는 평생 모아도 집을 못 산다는 두려움에 그들이 선택한 재테크 전략은?

[1] Twenty-eight-year-old Kim goes on a five-hour trip to Ulsan, or any other region, as soon as she gets off work on a weekday. Not for sightseeing or to visit friends, but for property viewing. "I get off work at 6 p.m. then head to Seoul Station to go for 'imjang' — a Korean term for site visit or field research on real estate properties — in different regions," she told The Korea Herald.

property viewing: 집 보기, 임장

real estate property: 부동산

[2] Over the past two years, Kim has spent 10 million won (about $7,400) on investment courses. What she learned was simple, if sobering: With her current income, saving will never buy her a home. Investing is her only option.

sobering: 번쩍 정신이 들게 하는, 심각[진지]하게 만드는

investment know-how: 재테크

[3] Among her preferred strategies is a method known as “gap investment,” which leverages Korea's unique "jeonse" lease system. Under a jeonse lease, tenants pay a lump-sum deposit, often 60 to 80 percent of the home’s value, instead of monthly rent. Landlords hold the deposit during the lease, usually to earn interest from a bank, and return it in full at the end of the contract.

leverage: ~을 유리하게 사용하다, ~을 담보로 하다

lump sum: 일시불, 일시불로 지불하는 금액

deposit: 보증금

[4] Through this approach, Kim now owns two apartments in Ulsan worth 600 million won, having put up only 100 million won of her own money. To acquire what she has now, Kim has spent every weekend walking over 20 kilometers each day to study neighborhoods — their environments, schools, and proximity to public transportation and other facilities — all the elements that factor into buying a house.

acquire: 습득하다, 획득하다

element: 요소

기사 원문: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10521994