The number of taxpayers owning expensive homes, subject to higher property tax, surged at the fastest pace in Jamsil, southern Seoul, data showed Sunday. 

The number of home owners who paid comprehensive real estate holding tax rose 36.1 percent on-year from some 15,000 to nearly 21,000 in Jamsil, said Rep. Kang Byung-won of ruling Democratic Party, quoting data from the National Tax Service.

The number of taxpayers in Jamsil owning one residential unit with an appraised value of more than 900 million won or more than two units that are altogether worth more than 600 million won increased at the fastest rate among 28 tax offices in Seoul. The national-level increase in the number of people subject to the tax was 17.9 percent. 

The increase in the number of people owning expensive homes came after property prices soared in the Gangnam-gu, Seocho-gu and Songpa gu, known as the three Gangnam districts. 

The total amount of comprehensive real estate holding tax paid in Seoul jumped 22.1 percent in 2018 from a year earlier. By region, Jamsil had the highest on-year increase, with 35.3 percent.

By Choi Jae-hee(cjh@heraldcorp.com)