Pyeong and Square Meters: Reading Korean Apartment Areas Correctly

1. Exactly how large is one pyeong

The pyeong derives from a 6-by-6 *ja* square. The exact conversion:

1 pyeong = 400 ÷ 121 m² ≈ 3.305785 m²
1 m² = 121 ÷ 400 pyeong = 0.3025 pyeong

Multiplying by 0.3025 is exact for the reverse direction. Dividing by 3.3 is only an approximation, and the error becomes visible on larger areas.

2. Mental shortcuts

pyeong → m²: pyeong × 3.3 (about 0.2% error)

m² → pyeong: m² × 0.3 then add a little, or m² ÷ 3.3

For 84 m²: 84 × 0.3 = 25.2, while the true figure is 25.41 pyeong. Fine for a rough sense, not for a contract.

3. Common Korean apartment sizes

| Exclusive area | In pyeong | Colloquial name |
|---|---|---|
| 39 m² | ~11.8 | small |
| 59 m² | ~17.8 | "24-pyeong type" |
| 84 m² | ~25.4 | "34-pyeong type" |
| 114 m² | ~34.5 | "45-pyeong type" |

This raises the obvious question: if 84 m² is 25.4 pyeong, why is it called a 34-pyeong unit?

4. Supply, exclusive, and contract area

Exclusive area (전용면적): everything inside your front door — rooms, living room, kitchen, bathrooms. Balconies are excluded.

Residential common area: stairs, corridors, elevators shared within the building.

Supply area (공급면적) = exclusive + residential common. The "N-pyeong type" label usually refers to this.

Other common area: management office, parking, security post.

Contract area (계약면적) = supply + other common.

An 84 m² exclusive unit typically has a supply area near 112 m²; 112 × 0.3025 ≈ 33.9, hence "34-pyeong". The same apartment can honestly be described as both 25 and 34 pyeong.

5. What the law requires

Under Korea's Act on Measurement, the square meter is the statutory unit for transactions and official records. Since 2007, advertising real estate in pyeong alone has been restricted; sale notices and property registers use m². Pyeong survives as a customary unit in everyday speech.

6. Easy mistakes

Balcony extensions are not counted in the exclusive area, so the lived-in space can feel larger than the number suggests.

Officetels use different area rules from apartments, so an identical exclusive figure can feel different.

When comparing price per pyeong, check whether the denominator is supply or exclusive area. Mixing the two makes the comparison meaningless.

7. Tools

The EVEDAYS Unit Converter also handles length, weight, temperature, speed, and data units. Frequently searched pairs have dedicated pages with reference tables: pyeong → m² and m² → pyeong.

8. Sources

Korean Law Information Center — Act on Measurement

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport — housing area calculation standards