"Hearing Hogeo Noise is Unpleasant" Hotel Jeon-Wolse Measures... Mocking 'Hotel Geoji'

Government Announces 'Support Measures for Housing Stability of Low-Income and Middle-Class'
Utilizing Hotels in Seoul and Idle Factories for Supply
Criticism Arises Over Hotel Conversion for Jeonse and Monthly Rent Measures

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mi (second from left) is attending the plenary session of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 18th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] On the 19th, as the government announced additional measures for the jeonse (long-term lease) market, controversy has erupted over the plan to convert hotels into jeonse and monthly rental housing. Some have voiced complaints, saying, "Isn't this 'hogeor'?" 'Hogeor' is a newly coined term meaning 'hotel beggar.' There are also mockeries such as "Do you want to live in a motel?"

According to the 'Support Plan for Housing Stability for Low-income and Middle-class Households' announced by related ministries including the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the same day, the government plans to alleviate the severe jeonse shortage by concentrating on supplying 49,000 jeonse-type housing units nationwide by the first half of next year through expanding purchase rentals and remodeling hotels and commercial buildings.

Among these government measures, there is criticism regarding the method of converting hotels into jeonse and monthly rental housing. The issue is whether families of four or more with children, rather than single-person households, can actually live in hotel-centered commercial areas.

Although tenants would prefer locations with excellent proximity to work and school (meaning workplaces and residences are close) and well-developed social infrastructure, critics point out that the hotel jeonse rental areas proposed by the government cannot meet these conditions.

A man in his 40s, Kim, who said he currently lives in jeonse in Seoul, criticized, "Isn't a hotel basically a single-room unit?" He added, "If you remodel it by dividing rooms, the floor area decreases accordingly, so living with family in such cramped spaces?who would want to move in?"

He continued, "It's also not good for children's education. After the term 'hyugeo' (a derogatory term for residents of certain rental apartments), now there's even the term 'hogeor.' Do they want to be mocked as 'hotel beggars'?"

Reference photo. Hotel accommodation. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Another office worker in his 50s, Park, said, "I don't understand how they plan to remodel hotels," adding, "Since hotels were not originally built as homes, they will inevitably be inconvenient," expressing his incomprehension.

A college student in his 20s, Lee, criticized, "I don't want to live in a hotel," and said, "It seems to make people without money even more miserable." He further pointed out, "The real estate problem should be solved through policy, but this seems like an idea-level system."

On the other hand, there are opinions that the policy of converting hotels into jeonse and monthly rental housing is positive. On the 18th, Kim Hyun-mi, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, attending the plenary session of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, responded to questions from Representative Jeon Ju-hye of the People Power Party regarding the hotel room controversy by saying, "Hotels that are not operating are being remodeled into youth housing, and the response has been very positive."

She added, "There are quite a few hotels where the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) is exploring purchase intentions," and "Remodeling hotels in areas with good accessibility to supply jeonse and monthly rental housing for single-person households has received fairly good evaluations so far."

The opposition party immediately opposed this plan by the ruling party and government. Former People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Seung-min wrote on his Facebook on the 18th, "Reorganize the Blue House and government teams with people who will expand jeonse deposit loans and mortgage loans for ordinary citizens and implement new policies," and criticized, "These are the things that really need to be done, but I cannot see such measures anywhere. Instead, they come up with plans to convert hotel rooms into residential use. It's outrageous. Which citizen would see that as a solution?"

On the same day, Ha Tae-kyung, a lawmaker from the same party, strongly criticized through Facebook, saying, "Lee Nak-yeon, who says he will turn hotels into jeonse housing, is utterly absurd." Ha said, "Hotels and residential apartments have completely different basic structures and living environments. What people want is a comfortable living space where they can raise children and rest peacefully, not a single-room hotel with no ventilation," and criticized, "The representative's plan, which gives up on transportation and education, is like telling low-income people to live in chicken coop houses."

Ha added, "We must not let the wrongly implemented real estate policies become even more disastrous. First, I will promptly propose a law to ban the practice of remodeling hotels into apartments or, through loopholes, converting them into residence hotels that are effectively apartments, at least in tourist areas."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.