The downward trend in apartment prices across the country has skidded to a halt after 13 months.

According to data from the Korea Real Estate Board on Thursday, rising apartment prices in the metropolitan area arrested the nationwide downward trend that began in May of last year.

Apartment prices in Seoul have been on the rise for six consecutive weeks now, inching up zero-point-04 percent on-week while similar trends were seen in the greater Seoul area as well as Gyeonggi Province.

The prices of lump-sum “jeonse” deposits for rentals also swung back up in the metropolitan area after about a year and a half as demand increased amid lower interest rates for such loans.