--- title: "Hong Kong vs Seoul: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Hong Kong and Seoul — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/hong-kong-vs-seoul pageType: comparison lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Hong Kong ($123/sqft, 12.8% vacancy) and Seoul ($34/sqft, 5.2% vacancy) compete on different axes: Hong Kong on talent depth and Seoul on rent and tax. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Hong Kong $123/sqft vs Seoul $34/sqft. - Vacancy: Hong Kong 12.8% vs Seoul 5.2%. - Talent index: Hong Kong 88 vs Seoul 82. - Corporate tax: Hong Kong 16.5% vs Seoul 24.2%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Hong Kong $1,320 vs Seoul $880. # Hong Kong vs Seoul: Class A office comparison **Hong Kong ($123/sqft, 12.8% vacancy) and Seoul ($34/sqft, 5.2% vacancy) compete on different axes: Hong Kong on talent depth and Seoul on rent and tax.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Hong Kong $123/sqft vs Seoul $34/sqft. - Vacancy: Hong Kong 12.8% vs Seoul 5.2%. - Talent index: Hong Kong 88 vs Seoul 82. - Corporate tax: Hong Kong 16.5% vs Seoul 24.2%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Hong Kong $1,320 vs Seoul $880. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Hong Kong | Seoul| | Region | APAC | APAC| | Country | Hong Kong SAR | South Korea| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $123 | $34| | Class A rent (local) | 80 HKD | 142000 KRW| | Vacancy | 12.8% | 5.2%| | Trend | softening | rising| | Prime yield | 3.4% | 4%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $1,320 | $880| | Submarkets covered | 5 | 6| | Corporate tax | 16.5% | 24.2%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Hong Kong | Seoul| | Typical term | 3 yrs | 5 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 8 mos | 6 mos| | Lease norms | Hong Kong leases are typically 3 years (with renewal option) or 6 years on the trophy tier. Rent-free of 6-12 months on a 3-year term is current market. Rent is gross with management fees billed separately. Stamp duty is payable on lease execution. Bank guarantees of 3 months are standard. | Standard 5-year lease (often 3+2). Rent + management fees billed separately. Large jeonse (lease deposit) common — 10-20x monthly rent. Reinstatement contractual.| | Tax note | Profits tax at 16.5% (8.25% on the first HKD 2 million for qualifying entities). No VAT, no capital gains tax, no withholding tax on dividends. | Combined federal corporate tax 24.2% (after surtax). Local taxes apply.| ## Talent | Metric | Hong Kong | Seoul| | Talent index (0–100) | 88 | 82| | Talent note | Premium financial-services talent depth, particularly for cross-border China-mainland mandates. Average all-in compensation indexes 88 vs. New York's 100. | Deepest tech (Samsung, LG, Naver, Kakao) and finance talent pool in Korea. Average all-in compensation indexes 82.| ## Transit & commute **Hong Kong:** MTR coverage across the entire Class A footprint. Airport Express to Chek Lap Kok in 24 minutes from Central. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and Express Rail to Shenzhen and Guangzhou support cross-border occupier strategies. **Seoul:** Seoul Metro covers every Class A address. KTX high-speed rail to Busan and other regional centres. Incheon Airport is 53 minutes by AREX express. ## Top submarkets — Hong Kong - [**Central**](/cities/hong-kong/central) — trophy tier · HK$130/sqft/mo · ≈ $200 PSF/yr USD - [**Admiralty**](/cities/hong-kong/admiralty) — prime tier · HK$110/sqft/mo · ≈ $169 PSF/yr USD - [**West Kowloon**](/cities/hong-kong/west-kowloon) — prime tier · HK$95/sqft/mo · ≈ $146 PSF/yr USD ## Top submarkets — Seoul - [**Gangnam (GBD)**](/cities/seoul/gangnam) — trophy tier · ₩145,000/pyeong/mo · ≈ $35.2 PSF/yr USD - [**Yeouido (YBD)**](/cities/seoul/yeouido) — trophy tier · ₩138,000/pyeong/mo · ≈ $33.5 PSF/yr USD - [**Jongno / Gwanghwamun (CBD)**](/cities/seoul/jongno-gwanghwamun) — trophy tier · ₩130,000/pyeong/mo · ≈ $31.6 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Seoul is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Hong Kong has the deeper talent index (88/100 vs 82/100). ### Pick by tax Hong Kong has the lower headline corporate tax (16.5% vs 24.2%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Hong Kong typical term is 3 years with 8 months free; Seoul runs 5 years with 6 months free. ### Pick by transit Hong Kong: MTR coverage across the entire Class A footprint. Airport Express to Chek Lap Kok in 24 minutes from Central. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and Express Rail to Shenzhen and Guangzhou support cross-border occupier strategies. Seoul: Seoul Metro covers every Class A address. KTX high-speed rail to Busan and other regional centres. Incheon Airport is 53 minutes by AREX express. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Hong Kong, Seoul and up to two more markets side-by-side on Class A rent, vacancy, talent, corporate tax, and premium flex pricing — all in USD. [**Run a 4-city comparison →**](/tools/city-comparator) ## Frequently asked questions ****Is Class A office cheaper in Hong Kong or Seoul?**** : Seoul is cheaper on a USD basis: $34/sqft vs $123/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Hong Kong or Seoul?**** : Hong Kong indexes higher on talent depth (88 vs 82). ****Which has more sublease availability, Hong Kong or Seoul?**** : Hong Kong carries higher vacancy (12.8% vs 5.2%) and therefore typically more [sublease](/glossary/sublease) overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Hong Kong vs Seoul?**** : Hong Kong typical term is 3 years with 8 months rent-free; Seoul typical term is 5 years with 6 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : Hong Kong: MTR coverage across the entire Class A footprint. Airport Express to Chek Lap Kok in 24 minutes from Central. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and Express Rail to Shenzhen and Guangzhou support cross-border occupier strategies. Seoul: Seoul Metro covers every Class A address. KTX high-speed rail to Busan and other regional centres. Incheon Airport is 53 minutes by AREX express. ## Editorial provenance Reviewed by [**Kenji Watanabe**](/about/authors/kenji-watanabe) — APAC contributing editor. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our [methodology](/about/methodology) and [editorial standards](/about/editorial-standards). ### Primary sources for this page - [CBRE Marketview reports](https://www.cbre.com/insights) — CBRE - [JLL Office Insight](https://www.jll.com/en/trends-and-insights) — JLL - [Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat](https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/insights) — Cushman & Wakefield - [Savills World Research](https://www.savills.com/research_articles/) — Savills - [Colliers Global Office Outlook](https://www.colliers.com/en/research) — Colliers [Full sources index](/about/sources) · [Submit a correction](/about/corrections) --- Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/compare/hong-kong-vs-seoul), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.