Among 25 districts in Seoul, only four will remain on the finance ministry's "speculative area" list starting from Thursday, the ministry said. It currently consists of 15 districts.

Those to remain on the list are Yongsan-gu, Seocho-gu, Gangnam-gu and Songpa-gu, in which stricter mortgage rules and heavier taxes are imposed on home buyers.

The decision comes a day after South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol promised to keep easing restrictions on home buyers to achieve a soft landing of the property market.

(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Editing by Alison Williams)