Gosiwon No Longer Just for Exam Prep: Why Young People Are Moving In

[Anchor]

Lately, university students, office workers, and even foreigners are flocking to gosiwon, affordable small-room housing units in Korea. There are various reasons why the 2030 generation is turning to gosiwons these days. Let us hear it directly from them.

[Reporter]

[Ryu Da-eun / 1-year resident of a gosiwon in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul: The gosiwon I currently live in is a 15-minute walk from my school. (Is the monthly rent more expensive than you initially thought?) Yes, it is expensive. I actually looked into getting a regular studio apartment instead of paying 500,000 won every month, but that would require a security deposit of at least 10 million won, plus maintenance fees, which felt a bit too burdensome. That is probably why I chose a gosiwon.]

[Kim Eun-seo / 3-month resident of a gosiwon in Seongdong-gu, Seoul: I used to live in Incheon, but because my academy starts very early in the morning, the commuting distance felt burdensome, so I came up to Seoul. I chose a gosiwon closest to the academy for my job hunt.]

In the past, shared-type gosiwons featuring only a bed and a desk per room while sharing toilets, shower rooms, and kitchens were common. Now, however, quite a few studio-type gosiwons include a private toilet and shower room inside the room.

However, gosiwons used as residential facilities are not legally classified as housing under the Building Act, but rather as "multi-household living facilities." Consequently, the mandatory facilities and safety regulations applied to them differ from those of ordinary homes.

Last month on August 12, the government stepped forward to overhaul some of these architectural standards.

Under the revision bill, citing the rationale to "rationally improve certain architectural standards unrelated to safety," the mandatory requirement for a desk in every room was removed, and bathtubs—which were previously prohibited—were permitted.

The primary reason is that it is difficult to view gosiwons solely as spaces dedicated to studying for exams anymore.

[Kim Eun-seo / 3-month resident of a gosiwon in Seongdong-gu, Seoul: What surprised me so much when I first came here was that, unlike my assumption that gosiwons were mostly for people studying hard for exams or preparing for jobs, there were many very young students in their early twenties. And I heard that when foreign exchange students, international students, or regular students leave during vacations, civil servants often stay temporarily for work reasons.]

In a recently conducted housing survey, cost-effectiveness, convenience, and independent space, along with proximity to locations, were cited as reasons for living in a gosiwon.

This means gosiwons are transforming from mere study spaces into affordable residential spaces close to workplaces and schools.

Reflecting this reality, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport concluded that desks no longer need to be mandatory.

Furthermore, as more people choose gosiwons equipped with individual shower booths even if it costs a bit more, the Ministry judged that there is actual demand for sanitary facilities like bathtubs.

It has been two years since single-person households in South Korea surpassed 10 million.

As the proportion of youth households living in non-housing units is also on an upward trend, this revision of gosiwon building codes is intended to ease regulations originally made for study rooms and redefine gosiwons as residential spaces.

However, some voices are raising concerns that if gosiwons become upscale starting with the permission of bathtubs, prices might become even more expensive.

[Kim Eun-seo / 3-month resident of a gosiwon in Seongdong-gu, Seoul: Let me briefly show you my room. This small window above the bed is all there is. So sunlight does not come in, and since it just connects to the hallway, ventilation and things like that do not work properly. There is a surprisingly significant price difference between inner rooms without windows and outer rooms with windows. Since the price difference is around 50,000 to 100,000 won, and many students without much money live here, they often end up choosing inner rooms.]

Ultimately, the core issue is the living environment.

While the number of people living in non-dwelling quarters such as gosiwons—falling short of the minimum housing standards—continues to increase, critical voices have pointed out that without fundamental improvements to the living environment, it only increases spaces that look like homes but are not actually homes.

AI-generated images depicting bathtubs crammed into tiny gosiwon rooms flooded social media, sparking massive controversy, and the government announced just nine days after issuing the administrative notice that it would reconsider its stance.

It is true that as people flock to gosiwons, the quality of these spaces is gradually improving, but can this change truly solve the housing problems facing young people?

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