Seoul Downtown Monthly Rent 100,000 Won? ... College Students Flock to 'Janghakgwan' in Ganghwa-gun

Local Governments in Seoul, Incheon, and Other Areas Operate Affordable Dormitories

As the new university semester approaches, Ganghwa-gun in Incheon is gaining attention for its affordable dormitories (scholarship halls) operated in Seoul and Incheon.

Ganghwa-gun, Incheon announced on the 9th that from the 27th of last month to the 5th, it conducted the first round of recruitment for 320 entrance exam candidates for Ganghwa Scholarship Halls 1 to 4, targeting early admission successful candidates and current students, with a total of 354 applicants. By dormitory, Seoul Yeongdeungpo-gu Scholarship Hall 1 recruited 67 applicants for 66 spots, and Seoul Jung-gu Scholarship Hall 2 attracted 114 applicants for 63 spots, resulting in full occupancy. The support rates for Seoul Dongdaemun-gu Scholarship Hall 3 and Incheon Yeonsu-gu Scholarship Hall 4, which opened in the second half of last year, were 88% and 95% respectively, showing strong enthusiasm.

Scholarship Student Lottery Ceremony at Ganghwa Superintendent Office
[Image source=Incheon-si Ganghwa-gun]

Ganghwa-gun plans to recruit an additional 18 regular admission (expected) candidates from the 15th to the 24th and will conduct an electronic lottery for any excess applicants. The reason Ganghwa-gun’s scholarship halls are popular among university students is their affordable prices. Currently, Ganghwa-gun operates dormitories that reduce housing cost burdens for students residing in Seoul and Incheon while attending school.

The beginning of Ganghwa-gun’s scholarship halls was in 2014 when a building in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul was purchased to establish Scholarship Hall 1. Since then, a total of four scholarship halls have been established over nine years until last year. These halls are priced at less than half the monthly rent of one-room apartments and officetels near Seoul universities, leading to continuous inquiries even before the recruitment period. Especially from this year, the monthly rent for all scholarship halls has been reduced from 130,000 KRW to 100,000 KRW, and 85.8% (254 out of 296) of the rooms are operated as single rooms.

The selection targets are prospective or current students of universities in the Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi metropolitan areas, who must have graduated from a middle or high school in Ganghwa-gun. Applicants who have been expelled or suspended are restricted from applying. Additionally, the parents of the applicants must have been registered residents of Ganghwa-gun for at least two years as of the announcement date and must meet the actual residence requirement.

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