[Smart Work Revolution] Advanced IT Facilities in Vacant Houses and Buildings Nationwide

Government Also Promotes 'Post-Corona' Office Revitalization

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] "Let's solve regional inequality by utilizing vacant houses and buildings nationwide as smart work hubs using the latest IT technology."

According to the telecommunications industry on the 15th, the Korea Telecommunications Operators Association (KTOA) recently proposed to the Presidential Transition Committee that vacant houses and buildings in small local cities be used as hub offices for smart work as part of post-COVID-19 policies.

According to Statistics Korea, the number of vacant houses nationwide reached 1,511,306 households in 2020. This accounts for 8.2% of the total 18,525,844 households. The vacancy rate, which was 6.5% in 2015, has steadily increased over the past five years.

Telecommunication companies view the expansion of remote work and remote hub offices, which have accelerated after the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, as a solution to various social problems caused by the concentration in the metropolitan area. Furthermore, if the requirement of living close to the workplace is met, it is expected to help resolve real estate issues.

According to a survey by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, 'proximity to workplace' ranks second among reasons for moving, accounting for 30.8%. Among respondents aged 20-29, this figure reaches as high as 61.5%. Those commuting from the Gyeonggi area to Seoul spend an average of 2 hours and 30 minutes daily just on commuting.

SK Telecom's recent hub office experiment was prepared based on a survey of about 4,300 employees working in the metropolitan area. Locations chosen include Ilsan and Bundang, where many residents live, as well as Sindorim, a key transportation hub in the southwestern part of Seoul.

The key issue is the possibility of expansion to local regions. CJ is considering expanding to local areas as well as core metropolitan areas, based on internal analysis showing increased usage rates of hub offices.

The government has also established short- and long-term support models by referring to successful overseas cases. It supports local government specialized programs to expand jobs within regions. Unlike in the past when returning to farming was encouraged, the current focus is on attracting satellite offices.

As part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' '2022-2026 Comprehensive Plan for Returning to Farming and Rural Areas,' if local governments establish plans to attract satellite offices of companies or organizations located outside their jurisdiction to expand local jobs, support is provided for creating office spaces. The long-term model supports remodeling and internet installation costs, while the short-term model supports creating remote work office environments during workations. A ministry official said, "We referred to the case of Kamiyama Village, a mountainous village in Japan, which opened 16 headquarters and satellite offices of IT companies, to establish a long-term plan," adding, "There have been cases of workation attempts by local governments such as Gangwon Province and Jeju Island, and the government intends to promote this on a long-term basis."

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