In a semi-basement apartment known as "banjiha" in South Korea, at this year's Oscars, Bong Joon-ho's film became the focus of attention due to the success of Bong Joon-ho's films. Although semi-basements are relatively cheap, they are narrow and dirty. But because of the reduced demand they are likely to soon become a thing of the past.
A scene from the Korean movie Parasite.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > sneaking hi: some people are willing to live in semi-basements</h1>
Lee Hyun-woo, 26, twice considered himself lucky.
The first was when he was accepted to South Korea's most prestigious arts university, and the second time was when he found an apartment in Seoul — though it was mostly underground.
The semi-basement apartment, known as "banjiha" in Korean, has come into the spotlight for the success of Bong Joon-ho's Oscar-winning film Parasite.
This year made history as the first foreign-language film to win the Best Picture Award.
This fictional story depicts a poor family struggling to get rid of their dirty "banjiha", taking advantage of the comedic effects of black in the film, but it is also the everyday reality of thousands of ordinary Koreans.
Lee Hyun-woo lives in the 260-square-foot "banjiha," five steps below the street, and has lived like this for four years. Although there was a large window in his room, the only thing that could be seen was a towering stone wall at the end of the alley.
Lee Hyun Woo in a semi-basement apartment in Seoul.
"I can sleep until 3 p.m. because I won't be woken up by the sun," Lee said. "But I still consider myself lucky because there's no mold, no bugs, and no smell like the rest of the basement." ... And it's cheap. ”
In a city known for the glamour and success of Korean pop icons and family businesses like Samsung, banjiha is hidden under bright lights and barely noticed except for the top of a fenced window hanging from the ground.
< h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > sadness: some people don't want to live in a semi-basement</h1>
Baek Hyun Young, a college student who moved to a rooftop apartment after living for a semester, said living in the house felt more like a sleeping box than home.
"I'm upset about my daily life because I know that at any time, people outside can see me in my room through the window." The 23-year-old young college student said.
The cramped bathroom did not have a sink and was raised half a meter above the floor. The ceiling in the bathroom was so low that his legs had to stand up straight so as not to hit his head.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, in 2018, about 366,000 of South Korea's 20.5 million households lived in "banjiha".
According to the latest data from the official Korea Bureau of Statistics, 63 percent of these people live in Seoul. The agency found in 2015 that they accounted for 6% of all households in Seoul, South Korea.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > traces back to the roots of the "semi-basement" in South Korea</h1>
According to Park Mi-shin, a researcher at the Korea Institute for Residential Areas, the "banjiha" may date back to the 1970s, when the government stipulated that basements had to be built as shelters to prevent North Korean attacks.
With no peace treaty signed between North and South Korea, the two countries remain technically at war, although the two sides have been in a disturbing state since the armistice in 1953.
Because of this, it was considered illegal to initially live in "banjiha", but rapid urbanization and the influx of immigrants from rural areas into Seoul in search of work prompted the government to ease those restrictions.
"Amendments to building codes since 1984 have allowed the construction of basements to be built above half the waist of the street, rather than at least two-thirds below the ground level previously, to improve their liveability," Park said.
The "banjiha" was originally built as a bunker and had to be two-thirds below ground.
Decades later, as South Korea's economy took off and home prices soared, "banjiha" and "goshiwon" — shared cramped windowless rooms — and makeshift shacks on the roofs of low-rise buildings — became the last resort for young people or those with financial difficulties.
In Seoul, the average price of an apartment last month reached 899 million won ($753,230) after a 10-month streak of house price increases, according to the National Bank of Korea.
According to official figures, house prices this year are more than 400 times the average monthly wage of the city's "banjiha" residents, which averaged about 2.19 million won ($1,820) in 2018.
On the other hand, the typical monthly rent of the "banjiha" ranges from 200,000 to 500,000 won (170-420 USD) and the security deposit is 3 million to 10 million won (2,500-8,400 USD) and must be prepaid.
Although rising house prices are putting a lot of pressure on less affluent households, fewer and fewer people are actually choosing to live in "banjiha". Official statistics show that the number of households living in these semi-basement apartments has fallen from 586,000 in 2005 to less than 400,000 today.
Realtors who work in an agricultural area in northeastern Seoul say 15 percent of underground apartments in the area are always empty. And the area is the area with the largest number of "banjiha" residents.
"The demand for 'banjiha' is decreasing every day. The agent, who asked not to be named, said the reduction in demand was attributed to young people with no life experience who were rejected by the harsh living conditions.
At the beginning of the 21st century, he would rent out as many as 50 "banjiha" a year, but now that he has less than 20 rentals, he predicts that "eventually, there will be no more banjiha" because aging buildings are demolished and new houses are more likely to have parking spaces than semi-basements, thanks to changes to building codes in 2003.
Some "banjiha" residents receive town government funds to improve the quality of their homes.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > the film "Parasite" won the award, the South Korean government took action</h1>
For those still living in "banjiha," the Seoul city government announced a week after "Parasite" won the Oscars, providing financial aid to 1,500 families, upgrading heating systems, installing air conditioning, ventilation systems and windows.
As part of an ongoing plan to improve living conditions in old apartments, the government and partner Korea Energy Foundation will pay 110 million won for this, with a subsidy ceiling of 3.2 million won per household.
Distribution of banjiha households in Seoul.
"This is a good first step, but of course it is not enough," said Park, a researcher at the Korea Institute of Settlements, who suggested starting with a comprehensive survey of the living conditions of the residents of "banjiha".
"In the long run, the supply of public rental housing – which currently accounts for only about 8% of the country's total housing stock – also needs to increase as more suppliers are introduced, bringing in municipalities and civil society organizations to limit dependence on the sole provider at the moment," Park said. South Korea's state-owned Korea Land and Housing Corporation said. ”
Lee Hyun Woo dreams of moving to a better place in Seoul, South Korea.
However, Lee hyun-woo does not intend to wait for the government to build more affordable housing. He was content to continue living in the house he had built until he found a job that would make him feel decent in the sun now.
He painted the walls sky blue — a color he says boosts creativity — and his doors were painted bright pink. When he needs to concentrate, he turns on the genie lights and mood lights, turning his room into a vibrant, colorful space. In one corner, he built a mini home gym that he bought with a month's salary from his previous part-time job so he could stay energized too.
"I want other people to know," he said, "Banjiha" is also comfortable. ”
"People may look down on us because we live at the bottom, but I believe this place is like a shield for young people to live here until they can succeed." It was a place where I could protect my dreams. Li Caiyun added.
Text/Pan Shuangying
Graph/Network
【DAILY MEDIA】