Improvement of Residential Environment in Incheon Ggangiburi Village... Construction of 50 Public Rental Houses

Incheon City is set to construct public rental housing and expand infrastructure such as parks to improve the poor living conditions in Gwaengiburimaeul, a representative jjokbangchon (small room village) in Manseok-dong, Dong-gu.

The city announced on the 20th that it plans to build public rental housing with 50 units in areas urgently needing maintenance due to increased safety risks such as building collapses and fires within Gwaengiburimaeul, aiming to support the stable settlement of current residents.

Incheon City, Dong-gu, and Incheon Urban Corporation recently signed a business promotion agreement and will begin full-scale project implementation starting with the establishment of a maintenance plan. According to the agreement, the city will designate the maintenance zone and bear the construction costs of the core rental housing project. Dong-gu will act as the project executor, establish the maintenance plan, and cover infrastructure project costs, while Incheon Urban Corporation will handle compensation and construction work.

Incheon Gganguiburi Village Photo by Yonhap News

Through this project, the city expects to provide a pleasant living environment to residents struggling with structural vulnerabilities such as aging and decreased insulation performance, as well as a lack of basic convenience facilities like restrooms. Currently, most houses in the jjokbangchon do not have private restrooms and use shared facilities.

Gwaengiburimaeul is well known as the setting of the novel Gwaengiburimal Aideul (The Children of Gwaengiburimaeul) by author Kim Jung-mi. In the 1930s, the area was reclaimed from the sea in front of Manseok-dong to build factories, serving as lodging for workers who came seeking jobs. During the Korean War, it became a settlement for refugees, and later, with industrialization, migrants gathered there in search of employment.

It is the oldest jjokbangchon in Incheon and a place where modern Korean living conditions remain intact. However, recently, as original residents have left the village, the number of vacant houses has increased, and the risk of safety accidents such as building collapses due to aging structures has grown.

Gwaengiburimaeul was selected for a residential regeneration specialized New Deal project by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in 2021, but the project was canceled due to resident opposition. The area was then reduced to a smaller zone to encourage participation by public enterprises, but the project faced difficulties due to low feasibility.

An official from Incheon City stated, "We expect to provide a hopeful home to residents who suffer not only from aging buildings but also from a lack of restrooms," adding, "Starting with Gwaengiburimaeul, we will continue environmental improvement projects in vulnerable residential areas, including jjokbangchon clusters within the region."

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