Goshiwon has grown enormously in recent decades and has one of the most expensive cities to live in in the entire world. Seoul, the capital of the Asian nation, is characterized by its expensive way of life. Living in a small apartment is synonymous with luxury. However, not everyone has the purchasing power to rent one and for this reason an alternative has emerged called Goshiwon, tiny rooms where there is barely space for a bed.
Goshiwon, as the small, affordable rooms are known, are a reality in Seoul. Not finding moderately priced or easily affordable housing, citizens have chosen to live in complete overcrowding. A lifestyle that little by little permeates more in the capital of South Korea.
To show these situations to the world, photographer Sim Kyu-Dong made a photographic series that captures the reality of Seoul residents. Kyu’s work shows the contradiction of living in one of the most expensive and modern cities in the world. Since the modernism of large buildings and high-tech advertising remains in the public sphere, while in the private sphere life can be very different.
Why live in Goshiwon?
Goshiwons are often an option for students or as housing for people who cannot afford a full apartment. No deposit is required to live in one, unlike apartments where saving is required before moving. In exchange for affordable rent, Goshiwons offer you a bit of privacy, usually 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
Although it is an extremely small space to live in, the inside of the place depends on who lives there. There are those who live in a very organized way despite the precarious space. But there are also those who neglect order and feel comfortable with it. They are not places where air intake is a main feature, although for an additional price you can get 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 do not have the necessary means to rent a complete apartment, which, it must be said, are 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 big cities outside to enter small rooms and infiltrate the private.