How to use
- Type a size in square meters to get pyeong, or type pyeong to get square meters — the other box updates as you type.
- Use Copy on the result to grab the converted value. The result line also shows the size in square feet.
- The tables below list sizes you’ll see constantly in Korean listings: 59, 74, 84, 101 and 114 ㎡, and 10 to 40 pyeong.
The conversion
| From | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ㎡ → pyeong | ㎡ × 121 ÷ 400 (= × 0.3025) | 84 ㎡ = 25.41 pyeong |
| pyeong → ㎡ | pyeong × 400 ÷ 121 (≈ × 3.305785) | 30 pyeong ≈ 99.17 ㎡ |
One pyeong (평) is the area of a square 6 ja (尺) on each side. With 1 ja defined as 10/33 m, each side is 20/11 m (about 1.82 m), so 1 pyeong = 400/121 ㎡ ≈ 3.3058 ㎡ ≈ 35.58 sq ft. Dividing by 3.3, a shortcut you’ll hear often, is slightly off: 84 ÷ 3.3 gives 25.45 instead of 25.41.
Reading Korean apartment sizes
Korean listings and contracts mention several different areas, and mixing them up is the most common source of confusion:
| Korean term | English | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 전용면적 (jeonyong) | Exclusive area | Space only your unit uses: rooms, living room, kitchen, bathrooms. Balconies are not included |
| 주거공용면적 | Residential common area | Shared above-ground space such as stairs, corridors, elevator halls and the entrance lobby |
| 공급면적 (gonggeup) | Supply area | Exclusive area + residential common area. A “34-pyeong apartment” usually means this |
| 기타공용면적 | Other common area | Management office, senior center, underground parking, machine rooms |
| 계약면적 (gyeyak) | Contract area | Supply area + other common area |
| 서비스면적 | Service area | Balconies and similar space not counted in any of the above |
So an apartment listed as 84 ㎡ (exclusive area) is 25.41 pyeong of private space, yet people commonly call it a “34-pyeong” unit because that figure is based on supply area. Common-area ratios vary by complex, so two 84 ㎡ units can have different supply areas.
Good to know
- Pyeong is a traditional unit. Korea’s legal unit of area is the square meter, so official documents and ads use ㎡; prices are often quoted “per 3.3 ㎡” as a stand-in for per-pyeong prices.
- Officetels are often marketed by contract area, so their usable space can be noticeably smaller than an apartment with the same headline number.
- Need square feet, acres or other units? Try the area converter.
FAQ
How big is one pyeong?
About 3.31 ㎡ or 35.6 sq ft — a square roughly 1.82 m on each side.
When someone says “30 pyeong”, is that the living space?
Usually not. For apartments, a pyeong figure in conversation normally refers to supply area, which includes shared hallways and stairs. Check the exclusive area (전용면적) in ㎡ on the listing to know the private space.
Why does the listing say 84 ㎡ but the agent says 34 pyeong?
They are describing different areas: 84 ㎡ is exclusive area (25.41 pyeong), while 34 pyeong is the supply area converted to pyeong.