Korea Standard Time, newlywed couples may satisfy the income requirement even when their combined income exceeds the existing ceiling if the spouse whose annual income is KRW 70 million or less applies for the loan directly. This applies to new applications submitted from October 19. The applicant must still satisfy the remaining loan requirements, including repayment capacity and the home-price limit.

If the couple’s combined income remains within the existing ceiling, the previous rules continue to apply. The new rule that assesses one spouse’s income applies to newlywed households whose combined income exceeds the ceiling applicable according to the number of children.

The annual combined-income ceilings for newlywed households are as follows.

Households with no children: KRW 85 million or less

Households with one minor child: KRW 90 million or less

Households with two or more minor children: KRW 100 million or less

If the household exceeds the applicable ceiling, each spouse’s annual income is checked separately. The key change is that the income requirement is considered satisfied when the person who becomes the borrower has annual income of KRW 70 million or less. The borrower is the person who actually takes out the loan and is legally responsible for repaying it.

Product guidance refers to applicants who qualify under this rule as a “newlywed income special-case applicant” (신혼소득특례자). It is therefore more accurate to understand the change not as the abolition of the combined-income ceiling, but as the addition of an individual-income test for newlywed households that exceed the existing ceiling.

Whether a household qualifies as newlywed is determined as of the loan application date. Couples who are within seven years of their official marriage registration date are eligible, and households planning to marry within three months of the application date are also included.

Being married does not mean the new rule applies regardless of how long the couple has been married. Couples who have not yet married must also check the procedure for proving their planned marriage, such as by submitting a wedding invitation, wedding-hall contract, or confirmation of an intended marriage.

The rule applies to new loan applications submitted from October 19, 2026. If you are considering changing or resubmitting an application filed before that date, confirm the applicable criteria and handling procedure with the person in charge before canceling the existing application.

To use the individual-income rule, the spouse who satisfies the income requirement must personally become the borrower. The repayment-capacity assessment also uses that borrower’s own income and debt.

One of the main indicators reviewed here is DTI, or the debt-to-income ratio. It measures the burden of mortgage principal and interest payments, along with interest on other loans, relative to annual income.

For newlywed income special-case applicants, the other spouse’s income is not added when repayment capacity is assessed for purposes of calculating the loan amount. Even if the applicant passes the income requirement, the amount that can actually be borrowed may vary depending on the results of the review of existing debt and repayment burden.

The loan applicant and the owner of the home must also be distinguished. Under Korea’s Bogeumjari Loan rules, either the borrower or the borrower’s spouse may be the owner or prospective owner of the mortgaged home, and when they are different people, the structure in which the owner provides the property as collateral is permitted. Applying under the individual-income rule does not by itself require the title to the home to be transferred to the applicant.

Even when the application is based on one spouse’s income, the number of homes owned is assessed for the couple together. The spouse’s income and debt are also reviewed when checking preferential interest-rate eligibility and requirements applicable to genuine end users of housing.

For the home-count requirement, excluding the home being used as collateral for the new loan, the couple must own either no other home or one existing home. If there is an existing home, separate requirements must be met, such as a condition requiring the existing home to be sold when purchasing the new home. When the loan is made subject to a disposal condition, the existing home must be sold within three years from the loan execution date.

The preferential interest rate for newlywed households has a separate income condition. The 0.3 percentage-point preferential rate for newlywed households requires the couple’s combined annual income to be KRW 70 million or less. The “borrower’s individual annual income of KRW 70 million” used for application eligibility must be distinguished from the “couple’s combined annual income of KRW 70 million” used for the preferential interest rate.

Therefore, you should not calculate interest on the assumption that the newlywed preferential rate will automatically apply simply because the applicant’s individual income falls within the eligibility threshold.

Because this change concerns the income requirement for newlywed households, requirements relating to the home price, credit, collateral, and repayment capacity must still be satisfied separately. The maximum eligible price of the mortgaged home is KRW 600 million.

In particular, when applying for a home-purchase loan, checking only the purchase price stated in the contract is not sufficient. If any one of the market-price information, appraised value, or purchase price exceeds KRW 600 million, the property is excluded from eligibility.

The product’s maximum loan amount is generally KRW 360 million. The maximum is KRW 400 million for households with multiple children and victims of jeonse fraud, and KRW 420 million for first-time homebuyers. These figures are maximum limits for each category and do not mean that every applicant can borrow the full amount.

The actual loan amount also reflects the borrower’s income and debt, the LTV, or loan-to-value ratio, which measures the loan relative to the collateral value, the location of the property, and any applicable preferential rules or exceptions. When planning a purchase contract or final payment, distinguish between the product’s maximum loan limit and the amount you are expected to qualify for after underwriting.

Preparing an application should begin with checking the income and employment documents of the person who will become the borrower, the spouse’s consent to provide information, and documents related to the property. Annual income is assessed based on pre-tax income, not after-tax take-home pay, and the amount used for underwriting is calculated based on factors such as income over the most recent two years.

If your income has changed recently, it is more accurate to confirm which documented income amount will actually be used rather than deciding eligibility based only on your expected salary for the current year.

The main documents and information to check during the application process include the following.

Income and employment documents: Documents required to verify the applicant’s income and employment or business activity

Spouse-related documents: The spouse’s identification and consent form for the provision of information, among other documents. If the spouse consents to information provision online, submission of the relevant documents may be omitted.

Property-related documents: Depending on the purpose of the application, documents such as a purchase contract or presale contract, and, if the property is leased, the lease agreement

Household verification documents: Documents confirming the duration of the marriage, planned marriage, relationship to children, and other household information

For online applications, the process proceeds from entering consultation information to a telephone consultation and document submission, followed by underwriting and approval. After approval, the financial institution handling the loan completes execution procedures such as signing the loan agreement and establishing the mortgage collateral.

During consultation, first provide each spouse’s income and identify who will become the borrower, and confirm whether the newlywed income special-case rule applies and the estimated loan amount calculated using that borrower’s income and debt.

※ This article is provided for reference to help readers understand market trends and does not constitute an investment recommendation for any specific security or asset. Final decisions and responsibility for investment outcomes rest with the individual.