In this study, by comparing the development and the space types of local and foreign flexible apartments, basic data will be derived for the development of various flexible types of apartments in Korea. A total of 60 unit plans, including 30 domestic cases and 30 overseas cases of flexible apartments, are analyzed for this study. In terms of the unit plan types, Korean apartments usually had a wide front bay with shallow depth, placing more rooms on the front bay; whereas foreign apartments tend to have various unit plan types: (1) a narrow front bay with deep depth, (2) a wide front bay with shallow depth, and (3) variegated open-plan types. Many apartments in foreign countries had a double-layered structure with the. upstairs and downstairs areas. In terms of the flexible types, many Korean apartments achieved interior flexibility using non-bearing wall or sliding doors; whereas foreign apartments had a flexible space by separating the support elements and the infill elements. There was found to be a close relationship between the location of support elements and the variability of unit plans. Support elements can be placed largely into three locations: (1) Between the front side bay and the rear side bay, (2) in the center bay of a unit plan, and (3) others. Depending on the location of support elements, various types of flexible unit plans can be created. Through a comparative analysis of domestic and foreign apartments, basic data that can be used for developing various flexible unit plans was derived.