South Korean actress Seo Hyun-jin has reportedly suffered a major financial loss after becoming the victim of a large-scale jeonse fraud involving a luxury villa in Seoul's Gangnam district.

According to a June 2 report by NewsPirit, Seo filed for a court auction in April after her landlord failed to return the jeonse deposit for a villa she had been renting in Cheongdam-dong.

The jeonse system, a common leasing arrangement in South Korea, allows tenants to pay a large upfront deposit in lieu of monthly rent, which is returned at the end of the lease.

According to Supreme Court documents, following the initial lease in April 2020, which was set at a ₩2.5 billion (approximately $1.8 million) deposit, he renewed the contract in 2022 for ₩2.625 billion (around $1.9 million).

After registering her leaseholder rights, she was unable to reclaim the deposit when the lease ended in April 2024.

Seo subsequently vacated the property and initiated auction proceedings in an attempt to recover her money.

However, the villa has since been classified as a "kkangtong house," a slang term for properties whose market value has dropped below the sum of their loans and deposits.

Although the property was initially appraised at ₩2.873 billion, the first auction attempt failed to attract a buyer.

The minimum bid has since been lowered to ₩2.298 billion — well below the amount Seo needs to recoup her full deposit.

Real estate experts cited in the report expressed concern that the continued downturn in South Korea's property market may further diminish the likelihood of a successful auction at or above ₩2.625 billion.

Despite the financial setback, Seo is continuing her acting career.

She is set to return to the small screen with the upcoming drama "Love Me," the Korean remake of the Swedish series written by Josephine Bornebusch.

The series explores the relationships and self-growth of a contemporary family.

Seo is best known for her leading roles in dramas such as Another Oh Hae-young and Why Her.