Goshiwon has grown enormously in the last decades and has one of the most expensive cities to live in the world. Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is characterized by its expensive lifestyle; living in a small apartment is synonymous with luxury, however, not everyone has the purchasing power to rent one, and for this reason has emerged an alternative called Goshiwon, tiny rooms where there is barely room for a bed.
Goshiwon, as the small affordable rooms are known, is a reality in Seoul. Unable to find moderately priced or easily affordable housing, citizens have opted to live in complete overcrowding. A lifestyle that is slowly permeating more and more of South Korea’s capital.
To show these situations to the world, photographer Sim Kyu-Dong made a photographic series that captures the reality of the people of Seoul. Kyu’s work shows the contradiction of living in one of the most expensive and modern cities in the world. The modernism of big buildings and high-tech advertisements remains in the public, while in private, life can be very different.
Why Do People Live in Goshiwon?
Goshiwon is often an option for students or a housing option for people who cannot afford a full apartment. No deposit is required to live in one, as opposed to apartments where savings are required before moving in. In exchange for affordable rent, the Goshiwon offers you some privacy, usually in a small room. It fits a single bed, a desk, and a closet necessary for the guest to organize their life. However, the bathroom is a separate matter, as it is shared with other neighboring tenants.
Infiltrating the Private Lives of Goshiwon Tenants
Although it is an extremely small space to live in, the atmosphere inside the place depends on who inhabits it. Some live in a very organized way despite the precarious space. But some neglect order and feel comfortable with it. They are not places where the air intake is a main feature, although, for an additional price, you can rent a Goshiwon with a small window.
The decoration is not one of the strong points of these rooms. But if desired and for an additional amount, Goshiwons are also offered with wallpaper on the walls to give a little more comfort to the eye. In this way, each person has different options in case they don’t have the necessary means to rent a complete apartment, which, it must be said, is not large enough either.
Sim Kyu-Dong offers us a visual chronicle of the Seoul lifestyle. It allows us to go far beyond the public, leaving out the big cities to go into the small rooms and infiltrate the private.
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