A proposal by Democratic Party lawmaker Hwang Hee to convert retired buses into housing for young people is facing fierce backlash from the younger generation.
Criticism such as, "We may not have homes, but we have our pride," and "Do you view young people as homeless people or refugees?" has erupted, accompanied by various AI-generated mocking content.
The controversy stems from the so-called "bus house" proposed by lawmaker Hwang on the 7th.
The concept is to remodel discarded buses and provide them as short-term temporary housing spaces for young people near university areas.
It was inspired by "boat houses" in the Netherlands that utilize retired ships.
Hwang explained that remodeling a single bus costs about 50 million won, and supplying 10,000 households would require a total of around 500 billion won, making it a realistic alternative for swift housing supply.
However, once the proposal was made public, the backlash spread rapidly centered around social media.
Criticisms continued, such as, "You block all paths to loans, and now you're telling young people to live in retired buses?" and "This is not a policy, but a mockery."
This opposition also expanded into various satirical content utilizing AI. A virtual vlog featuring a scenario of living for six months in a retired bus youth housing unit appeared on a social media platform.
The virtual resident in the video satirized the poor living environment of the bus, stating, "It becomes a sauna in the summer and a freezer in the winter." The video recorded 230,000 views just two days after its release.
Virtual "bus real estate" parodying expensive high-rise apartments in Seoul also emerged.
Examples include "Hnam The Wheel" twisting "Hannam The Hill," "Acro River's Park" parodying "Acro River Park," and "Banpoter Zai" applying "Banpo Zai."
AI-generated images of apartment buildings made by stacking retired buses layer upon layer spread rapidly.
Criticism poured in from the political sphere as well.
The People Power Party stated, "It is a bizarre idea that mocks young people," while New Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok pointed out issues such as water supply and sewage connections, criticizing that vehicle living cannot be an alternative to housing.
As the blowback grew, the ruling party leadership also drew a line, and lawmaker Hwang deleted related posts and stepped in to manage the situation.
Hwang explained that it was a proposal at the level of an idea to review temporary living spaces for young people placed in poor environments such as goshiwons.
(Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Seo Byeong-wook | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Source: Instagram @moson_365 | Produced by SBS Digital News)
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