The World Beneath the Banjiha

To change the perceptions of homeowners and tenants, which is the biggest obstacle to installing flood barriers, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is visiting each household to persuade them. The city cannot infringe on property rights, nor can it evict low-income residents who have no choice but to live in semi-basement units, so officials are visiting them one by one. In addition, the city is providing vouchers to tenants, offering public rental housing, and purchasing semi-basement units, but these initiatives have their limitations. Experts have stated that local governments should prioritize areas at high risk of flooding in order to prevent semi-basement flooding accidents. They emphasized the need to concentrate resources in locations where damage could be severe, and, in the long term, to make efforts to build public consensus on making flood barriers mandatory. Encouraging Flood Barrier Installation with More Than Three Visits...The city and local districts are directly visiti

"I asked the landlord to install a flood barrier, but there still isn't one. I'm really worried," he said. Mr. Jang (45), who lives in a semi-basement house in Daerim-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, told a reporter this on April 15. The boundary between Jang's house and the street is separated by a low curb. The front door of the house is much lower than the street. He explained that with heavy localized downpours, water would quickly rise over the curb, and he feels "at a loss" about how to get through the summer this year. Unlike tenants like Jang, landlords are not keen on installing flood barriers. If a house is labeled as "flooded," they have to lower the rent even further. Experts have pointed out that legal requirements should be established so that tenants can have flood barriers installed even if landlords object. "Afraid of the stigma of a 'flooded house,' we don't apply for flood barriers"There are still a significant number of semi-basement households in Seoul without flood b

"The monthly rent is 300,000 won." According to a survey conducted by Asia Economy from April 14 to 18, which interviewed 10 residents of semi-basement homes both online and offline, most cited low rent as the main reason for living in a semi-basement. The average daily rent is about 10,000 won (based on Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul). However, not a single respondent recommended living in a semi-basement. The main reasons were not social stigma, humidity, or pollution. Instead, they pointed to the threat to survival posed by localized heavy rainfall. All agreed that, if they had more money, they would leave the semi-basement for the sake of their own safety. There Are Clear Reasons Why Semi-Basement Rents Are LowOn May 7, a survey of real estate agencies in a villa complex in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul revealed that the monthly rent for semi-basement units in this area is about 200,000 to 300,000 won cheaper than above-ground units. For a studio apartment with a dedicated area of

"All I can do is pray that it won't rain too much this summer." This was the wish of Park Kkotnim (pseudonym), an 82-year-old woman I met on April 17 in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul. It was after the torrential downpour in August 2022. When a neighbor who, like Park, lived in a semi-basement room lost their life due to flooding, she thought, "I want to avoid such a death." Two years have passed since then, but there is still no water barrier on the window of her semi-basement room. No district office staff have come to check on her. All she can do is pray. The most distressing part of her semi-basement life is the humidity. It's not simply the arrival of summer because of the heat. She only feels that summer has truly come when the heavy, moisture-laden air settles and the smell of mold spreads everywhere. When the suffocating feeling, as if suddenly submerged in water, rises up to her chin, she knows a torrential downpour is coming. Flooding is even more terrifying than the oppressiv