1. Train Roar Outside the Window... A Studio Apartment Where You Can Only Open the Fridge Halfway
We first visited a studio apartment in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, with a deposit of 5 million won and a monthly rent of 300,000 won. Measuring 14 square meters, it takes just four to five steps to walk from the front door to the window. It is so narrow that it is difficult to fit a bed, and lying down puts your feet right against the furniture on the opposite side. The shower filter has turned yellow, and the bathroom is cramped.

[Kim Jae-guk / Real Estate Agent: How can anyone take a shower here? You have to leave the door open (to shower).]

Opening the window reveals railway tracks, where a train roars past about once every five minutes. Even so, a contract was signed less than a week after it was recently listed. Monthly rent usually ranges between 500,000 won and 700,000 won, so because this is relatively cheap, it is said to be a popular property among young people looking to cut down on housing costs. Let us look at another home. There is a bed in one corner of the room and a small refrigerator right across from it. Opening the refrigerator door causes it to hit the bed, allowing it to open only halfway.

[It hits the bed?]

To put items all the way inside, you have to sit down, press your body against the bed, and stretch your arm out long. This is a room with a 2 million won deposit and a 240,000 won monthly rent. This room is also said to be contracted in less than two weeks once listed. Another home is located right on a hill. You have to walk up a steep incline for over 10 minutes, but any positive thoughts are short-lived.

[You do not need to go to the gym. You get a stable workout like this every day.]

Sweat quickly forms in the hot weather. The real estate agent showing the room says he only feels a sense of regret toward young people.

[Kim Jae-guk / Real Estate Agent: My heart aches when I think that since more people are unable to receive the benefits (of government housing policies), they have no choice but to flock to places like this.]

2. Falling Short of Minimum Housing Standards... "I Only Considered the Price"
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has what is called the "minimum housing standard." It is a guideline outlining what is minimally required for a person to live. According to this standard, the minimum housing area for a single-person household is 14 square meters. However, all three studio apartments I toured with the real estate agent fall short of this minimum housing standard. Sillim-dong, where I toured, is an area where exam candidates as well as Seoul National University students mainly live on their own. Including Sillim-dong, monthly rent around Seoul National University rose the most at 26% compared to last year, while overall university areas saw rent increases, such as 15.1% for Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and 10.4% for Yonsei University. The average across all university areas in Seoul rose by 8%, significantly increasing the housing cost burden on young people.

[Ahn Jae-hong / Job Seeker: I chose a place like this thinking only about the price and a place to sleep. Hot water takes a while to come out. Five to seven minutes?]

[College Student: The area under the mountain is relatively cheap. As I looked for the cheapest place possible, I ended up getting further away (from the center). It feels like being pushed to the outside.]

3. Building Dormitories Is Also an Uphill Battle... Is There a Solution?
Compared to typical studio apartments, university dormitories tend to ease the financial burden a bit. However, anyone who has experienced college life will likely agree that dormitories are not places you can live in just because you want to. This is because the capacity that dormitories can accommodate is limited. According to University Information, the dormitory accommodation rate at universities nationwide last year was about 23%. Only one out of five students can get into a dorm.

[Han Eui-deok / Gwanak-gu, Seoul: I lived in a dorm during my freshman year, and while it was affordable back then, dorm spots do not open up all that much.]

Experts point out that despite the severe shortage of university dormitories, more are not being built due to a lack of will from school authorities combined with opposition from local communities.

[Seo Dong-gyu / Mindalpain Union Chairperson: Compared to the very high amount of funds the school foundation holds in reserve, they are very passive in expanding necessary facilities... When they try to build them (dormitories), opposition arises with claims that it will cause problems for the livelihoods of nearby landlords.]

However, even if dormitories are built, the homes shown earlier will not disappear. Therefore, arguments are being raised that the poor environment of the private rental market should also become a target of supervision, much like how public officials crack down on restaurant hygiene.

[Seo Dong-gyu / Mindalpain Union Chairperson: Doesn't the administration track and manage things like hygiene management? Measures to manage and supervise the housing environment of private rental housing and force renovations into minimal spaces fit for living are currently severely lacking.]

With high living costs and housing expenses on top of scarce income due to difficult employment conditions, the living spaces for young people are becoming even more impoverished.

Reported by Im Jihyeon | Produced by Shin Hee-suk | Video by Shin Jin-sub, VJ Kim Hyung-jin | Video Editing by Seo Byung-wook | Graphics by Lee Su-min | Produced by SBS Digital News