[Report] "Everyone Moved Out" Yeongdeungpo Ssokbangchon Swept Away by Heavy Rain... Will Minimum Housing Standards Improve?

Flooding and Leakage Damage from Heavy Rain
4.6% of All Households Below Minimum Housing Standards
No Revisions Since 2011
"Should Also Apply to Blind Spots Where Minimum Housing Standards Are Not Currently Enforced"

Inside the small room with mold growing, there was only a fan left alone. The resident of this small room village moved out due to the heavy rain on the 8th.
Photo by Kim Gunchan, intern reporter kgc6008@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Gun-chan] "They moved out over there. They put the TV and blankets all outside now."

On the 23rd, Mr. A, in his 60s, whom we met in a narrow alley of the Yeongdeungpo jjokbangchon in Seoul, had no choice but to leave his room due to the heavy rain that struck the metropolitan area on the 8th. Also, at the home of Mr. Kim Su-il (65), who has lived in the jjokbangchon for seven years, mold has appeared.

Due to leaks caused by the heavy rain, rainwater was dripping from various spots on the ceiling. As a temporary measure to prevent this, plastic bottles were cut in half and used as rainwater catchers. Pointing to the mold on the ceiling, Mr. Kim explained, "These are all water stains caused by leaks," and added, "Water runs down this wall, so we have to block the place where it directly falls into this container."

Mr. Kim, who has lived in the jjokbangchon since 2016, has suffered from leaks every year. Due to the jjokbang’s structure, which has no windows and no sunlight, natural drying is impossible. It is an environment where mold inevitably forms due to moisture. Mold had already spread to several parts of the ceiling. He said, "Every summer, when it rains a lot, I felt anxious and almost developed neurosis," and added, "Now I have adapted and accept it calmly."

Due to the structure of the small room without windows and no sunlight, it is an environment where mold inevitably forms because of moisture. Mold had already spread to several places on the ceiling.
Photo by Kim Gunchan, intern reporter kgc6008@asiae.co.kr

Another resident of the jjokbangchon, Mr. Kim, showed a video on his smartphone from the time of the heavy rain and explained the urgent situation. He said, "It was really close," and that water had risen right up to the front of his door, so he pumped out water until dawn. He said, "I borrowed a water pump and pumped out water until dawn," and added, "There is still moisture left in the basement."

The first-floor jjokbang house where Mr. Kim lives had a structure vulnerable to flooding. The first-floor jjokbang house consists of several rooms gathered in a narrow space. There was no roof over the passage right in front of the jjokbang, and a thin plastic sheet served that role instead. Moreover, the basement drainage pipes and flush toilets backed up, causing rainwater to slowly accumulate. Mr. Kim said, "I heard this house was built 60 years ago, but now the facilities are outdated and don’t function properly," and added, "Because the drainage was blocked and water came up from below, we couldn’t stop it."

Given this situation, voices are emerging that the residential environment of the jjokbangchon must be fundamentally improved to prevent damage caused by heavy rain. Lee Dong-hyun, a standing activist of Homeless Action, emphasized, "Jjokbangs generally have no windows, so even steam from rice cookers cannot be released, causing mold to grow frequently," and added, "Beyond simple flood recovery, mid- to long-term improvement of the residential environment is necessary."

Traces of backflow in the drainage pipe due to heavy rain on the 8th. Photo by Kim Gun-chan, intern reporter kgc6008@asiae.co.kr

As issues with the residential environment of the poor, including jjokbangchon, recur, there is also an opinion that housing environment problems should be resolved by raising the minimum housing standard area.

The minimum housing standard specified in the Housing Act refers to the minimum criteria necessary for citizens to live comfortably and well. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s housing condition survey, as of 2020, 4.6% of households did not meet the minimum housing standard. The minimum housing standard has been maintained without revision since it was revised and announced in 2011.

The minimum residential area per person under the minimum housing standard is 14㎡. In a report titled "Contents and Improvement Tasks of the Minimum Housing Standard" published in 2020, the National Assembly Legislative Research Office pointed out, "There is a need to realize the current narrow area standard," and "Consideration should be given to raising the area standard for comfortable living." The National Human Rights Commission also recommended in 2020 that "the standard should be revised because the area standard is set too low."

An alley in the Yeongdeungpo jjokbangchon visited on the 23rd in Seoul. Photo by Intern Reporter Kim Gun-chan kgc6008@asiae.co.kr

The ambiguous expressions specified in the minimum housing standard are also cited as a problem. Article 4 of the Minimum Housing Standard includes content such as "The materials of the main structural parts must be heat-resistant, fire-resistant, heat-insulating, and moisture-proof," and "Appropriate soundproofing, ventilation, lighting, and heating facilities must be provided." However, the meanings of the words "heat-resistant" and "appropriate" are ambiguous, and there are no specific criteria to measure them. The activist said about the ambiguous standards, "Such wording does not serve as a guide when constructing buildings," and added, "Abstract parts need to be made concrete."

Voices are emerging that the minimum housing standard should be applied even to blind spots where it currently does not apply, beyond improving the residential environment of the poor. The activist emphasized, "The minimum housing standard does not apply to places like goshiwons," and added, "If it is a dwelling used by humans for residential purposes, the minimum housing standard must be observed without exception."

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