The priciest plot

Passersby walk past a Nature Republic store in the Myeong-dong area of Jung District, central Seoul, on Dec. 17. The cosmetics brand’s plot of land, measuring 169.3 square meters (1,822 square feet), was appraised at 188.4 million won ($127,000) per square meter for next year — the highest officially assessed land price in the country — up 4.4 percent from this year’s 180.5 million won. The site has ranked No. 1 nationwide for 23 consecutive years since 2004.