The ₩3.8 Billion Rental Home That Shocked Manager Kim Wasn’t in Banpo —
It Was Filmed at Singemdan Royal Park City II
[Seoul Economic Daily] JTBC’s recent drama “Kim Manager, Who Works at a Major Company and Owns an Apartment in Seoul” has become a major topic of conversation. The series captures the bittersweet realities of office life and the central issue of real estate in Korean society with striking realism, drawing strong attention not only from viewers but also from real estate communities. In particular, many viewers have been eager to find out the real filming location of the home of Do Jin-woo, the rival of protagonist Kim Nak-su, known in the show as the luxurious “Banpo River Palace.”
In the drama, “Banpo River Palace” is the upscale apartment complex Kim visits to pick up his superior, Director Baek, and is stunned by its opulence and soaring prices—its rental alone is depicted as reaching ₩3.8 billion. However, the actual filming location wasn’t Banpo, but New Geomdan Royal Park City II, located in Seo-gu, Incheon. In reality, the pricing is a complete twist: the 84㎡ (exclusive area) units were initially sold in the ₩600 million range—about one-sixth of the drama’s rental price. Despite this reasonable pricing, the complex naturally embodied the drama’s premium image thanks to its world-class landscaping, 38 six-star-level community amenities, and 13 high-end residential services.
DK Asia has strengthened resident medical services by signing an agreement with Incheon’s leading university hospital, Catholic Kwandong University International St. Mary’s Hospital. Although many luxury-branded apartment complexes promote remote medical services, actual medical care still relies heavily on in-person treatment, meaning such remote options often end up being little more than marketing features with very low real usage.
In contrast, New Geomdan Royal Park City II offers Korea’s first resident-exclusive direct in-person medical service, providing emergency care, rapid medical guidance, reservation support, personalized health information, and other practical medical benefits that residents are already using face-to-face.
Together with Geomam Station Royal Park City I, New Geomdan Royal Park City II forms part of a completed pilot district totaling 6,305 households. Royal Park City is planned as the largest private premium resort city in Korea, with a total of 36,500 households. New Geomdan Royal Park City II, comprised of 1,500 households, also holds significance as Incheon’s first large-scale “build-first, sell-later” residential project.
Interest in the model home adjacent to New Geomdan Royal Park City II has surged alongside the popularity of the drama. The model home is designed not merely to showcase sample units, but to convey DK Asia’s vision for the 36,500-household Royal Park City development and the philosophy behind its high-end residential brand.
Upon entering the model home, visitors are greeted by a large Christmas-themed Banyan Tree installation. A grand three-story marble staircase creates an impressive sense of scale, and the massive site model offers an immersive visualization of Royal Park City as Korea’s first premium resort-type city. The model displays everything from the complexes, subway station, roads, surrounding environment, and even the future blueprint for Eco Meta City—a major development currently underway in Incheon’s northwestern region.
Eco Meta City is a large-scale project to transform the Incheon northwest area into an eco-friendly cultural complex city. In May, Incheon City announced a master plan for the 1.95 million-m² (590,000-pyeong) site and began full-scale development. The first phase, the Handul District 3 (1.1 million m², 300,000 pyeong), is progressing smoothly and is set to feature residential, commercial, and cultural facilities, including high-rise apartments over 40 floors.
DK Asia has already completed a pilot district of 6,305 households by combining Geomam Station Royal Park City I (4,805 households, 560,000 m²) and New Geomdan Royal Park City II (1,500 households, 520,000 m²). Additional developments are planned in Wangil District 1 (4,619 households, 500,000 m²) and Geomdan District 5 (3,851 households, 420,000 m²), further accelerating the creation of Royal Park City as Korea’s leading premium resort city.
On weekends, the model home offers Korea’s first premium resort city tour program for pre-registered visitors. Activities include a buffet-style seasonal “Three-Meals Service” operated by Shinsegae Food, movie screenings at the Royal Cinema Lounge, a complimentary 15-minute golf lesson with a pro at a two-story indoor driving range equipped with GDR systems and 50-meter distance capability, and access to a hotel-grade fitness center outfitted with Technogym equipment.
Visitors can also enjoy the hotel-style Royal Music Room, experience premium screen sports through Legend Heroes, and relax at Incheon’s first terrace-style Royal Sky Lounge while enjoying warm tea and a panoramic view of Royal Park City’s vision and future value.
The landscaping leaves a strong impression as well. Guests can explore the award-winning landscape design, experience the “healing” lifestyle the complex promotes, and ride the Royal Train—a trackless train running throughout the community. Other attractions include winter-green rye fields, two real airplanes featured in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, a heart-shaped mulch zone, frame-style photo spots, and an extended 5.6-km earthen trail—all contributing to an emotive and wellness-centered outdoor experience.
The landscaping at New Geomdan Royal Park City II has been internationally recognized, winning the 2025 International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) Award. Additionally, the complex won the 2025 Good Design Award for its canal walk that connects two tea houses—another first for a Korean apartment project.
Industry experts have also praised the landscaping quality. Major Korean construction companies, Seoul redevelopment associations, domestic resorts, academia, and even large overseas developers have visited the site for study tours. The secret lies in the extraordinary investment scale. To achieve world-class landscaping, DK Asia reinterpretated Villa d’Este, the UNESCO World Heritage site in Tivoli, Italy, and spent more than ₩3.8 million per 3.3 m² (one pyeong) on landscaping—constructed by Samsung C&T Resort Division (Everland). For comparison, landscaping costs are typically under ₩1 million per pyeong for new town apartments, while top-tier Gangnam redevelopment complexes such as Hillstate Raemian One Bailey, Maple Xi, and Acro River Park usually spend ₩1.6–1.9 million per pyeong.
New Geomdan Royal Park City II’s landscaping investment is therefore 200–250% higher than Gangnam’s highest-end redevelopments, and even surpasses that of Korea’s most luxurious resorts such as Sol Beach and Ananti. Thanks to this bold investment, residents—known as Royal Park Citizens—enjoy a level of premium landscaping and amenities rarely seen in the Korean housing market.
DK Asia plans to further solidify Royal Park City’s status as Korea’s representative high-end residential brand by continuing to invest in premium resort-style living that offers both healing and everyday comfort.
