Boarding houses: Then and now
Boarding houses, once considered a thing of the past, are making a comeback, offering affordability, safety and nostalgia for today's university students
In the past, out-of-town university first-years looking for housing often turned to boarding houses called "hasukjib" run by women typically around the same age as their parents. These homeowners would prepare breakfast and dinner for boarders, creating a communal space for students to gather and eat together.
Before the school year began, boarding house owners would host special dinners to help students get to know each other. Over time, students would grow close and form bonds with the owner, often referring to her as "eomeoni," or mother in Korean. These boarding houses felt almost like family, with a sense of warmth and togetherness.
This was the boarding house scene until the end of the 1990s, much like its depiction in the popular tvN series "Reply."
Today's boarding houses look vastly different.
"First of all, many boarding houses have closed in recent years, especially at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students today are more individualistic and value their privacy. Only a few still operate because students prefer shared flats or one-room studios," said a boarding house owner near Chung-Ang University in Seoul.
Shared flats, called "sharehouse" in Korean, offer a modern version of the boarding houses of the past, with individual rooms and shared bathrooms, along with shared community spaces for students who want to interact.
"I stopped operating as a boarding house and renovated it into a sharehouse for female students only. I no longer have to prepare meals and the students prefer it that way. They would rather eat privately in their own rooms," said the owner of a sharehouse near Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul.
These days, it's rare for students to eat together in boarding houses like they did in the past, as their schedules often differ. Meals have become more like buffets, available for a limited time.
"I rarely eat at my boarding house, but the owner prepares around five banchan (side dishes), a soup and a main dish. It's available for about an hour and a half for students to grab and eat," said Kim Su-min, 21, who moved to Seoul from Daejeon last year to attend Chung-Ang University.
"To be honest, I've never spoken with the other girls living in the same boarding house. I don't even know their names," she added.
Resurgence as cost-effective housing option
Boarding houses are seeing some recovery as rents rise. The high cost of housing is bringing students back to boarding houses, which do not require a deposit and cost approximately 400,000 won ($273) to 450,000 won a month, about 100,000 won less in monthly rent compared to a one-room studio. Boarding houses also come with meals at no extra charge.
"If you're looking for a decent, safe room, you need at least 30 million won for a deposit and 500,000 won in rent every month," said a licensed real estate agent near Seoul National University.
Real estate platform Dabang analyzed listings near 10 major universities in Seoul and found that the average monthly rent is 609,000 won, more than a 6 percent increase on-year.
Boarding houses, which seemed to be losing out to one-room studios, are once again becoming popular due to their cost-effectiveness, bringing back a sense of nostalgia to university areas.
"I have students calling asking for rooms, but we are fully booked for this semester. I think students and their parents like that boarding houses are affordable and offer homemade food," said the boarding house owner near Sookmyung Women's University.
"In light of soaring housing costs, even the MZ generation, who values privacy, is opting for boarding houses due to these practical issues," said professor Kim Yoon-tae of the Department of Social Welfare at Korea University.
yoohong@heraldcorp.com
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
13 minutes ago
- Korea Herald
Lee's presidency begins with briefing on handover of military authority
Five-year term for new president commences with election win confirmation at 6:21 a.m. Wednesday Lee Jae-myung on Wednesday kicked off his term as president of South Korea at 6:21 a.m., after the National Election Commission confirmed his win in Tuesday's presidential election. The liberal leader took over from acting President Lee Ju-ho, without the transition period usually given to a president-elect. In Tuesday's early election, conducted two years ahead of schedule due to his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, Lee won 49.42 percent of the vote. His 17.28 million votes were the highest tally for a president-elect since direct presidential elections were implemented in 1987, although Park Geun-hye in 2012 still holds the record for the highest percentage of votes at 51.55 percent. In his first official move as president, Lee spoke by phone from his personal residence with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo at 8:07 a.m. Adm. Kim briefed the new commander-in-chief about the handover of military authority, North Korean military movements, and the readiness of the South Korean military. "It was very appropriate for the soldiers in the military to respond passively to the unjust orders given during the period of martial law (declared by Yoon) out of loyalty to the people and the country, which prevented mass chaos," Lee told the highest-ranked military official, according to the presidential office. He stressed his faith in the military's loyalty and capabilities and requested the military to maintain constant vigilance, keeping an eye on the North, based on the South Korea-US military alliance. In his first outing as president, Lee visited Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak-gu Wednesday morning to pay respects to the Korean independence activists, soldiers, police officers and others who died in service of the country. He is slated to attend an abbreviated inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly at 11 a.m., without a large-scale celebration, which is postponed until Korea marks Constitution Day on July 17.
Korea Herald
9 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Lee Jae-myung: Outsider's climb to top
From factory boy to president, Lee says he was driven by rage at inequality Projected victory of Lee Jae-myung is a "win for those who are not part of the establishment, and outside the mainstream," the Democratic Party of Korea believes. Lee's political journey has been rocky and drama-filled, to say the least. "It's not easy working for Lee Jae-myung. Things always seem to happen to him. But he is a guy who gets up every time," one of his close aides told The Korea Herald. At a campaign rally Saturday in Daejeon, one of the swing cities being watched closely, Lee boasted that he has "dodged every bullet that came my way." Over the campaign, Lee shrugged off his criminal trials, cited as one of his most critical liabilities, claiming he had been wrongfully charged by prosecutors. Lee, who likes to describe himself as an outsider, started off at the Democratic Party in 2007 as a "lowly" deputy spokesperson, a role that is usually given to novice politicians who have not yet won public office. Not many of the people who knew Lee from his very early days are still around. But the tale goes that even then, Lee was more ambitious than a typical deputy spokesperson. Lee felt he was snubbed by mainstream Democratic Party lawmakers at the time, according to an insider account, and that it was what drove him. Lee left the Seoul stage for 11 years, serving as Seongnam mayor and then as Gyeonggi Province governor, until 2021. When Lee won the Democratic Party's nomination for president in the 2022 race, at the second attempt, it was a political Cinderella story. Past presidential nominees of the Democratic Party, more often than not, had made it to the top of the party before they could launch a bid, working from their way up from the inside. Lee did it from the outside in. "Do you know why they are so afraid of Lee Jae-myung? It's because I came from the fringes. I make the establishment uncomfortable," Lee told a roaring crowd of supporters on Saturday. Policy bulldozer Lee first made his name as fiery mayor of Seongnam, a city in the southern part of Gyeonggi, the province that surrounds Seoul, where he served for two consecutive terms from 2010 to 2018. Lee's signature policy from his Seongnam era is his "free" welfare program that was taken to the Supreme Court for allegedly violating the laws on social security. This is when Lee's experiment with universal basic income began, and when he learned of its popular appeal. Lee, vowing to make Seongnam the "city of free welfare benefits," doled out vouchers that can be used like cash in the city in spite of fiscal concerns. By the time Lee became governor of Gyeonggi Province, the most populous of any municipality with 13 million people, in 2018, his name was more recognized nationally. As governor, Lee was known for pushing through tough COVID-19 restrictions, which were cheered by people who were fed up with the pandemic. In 2020, Lee live-streamed himself busting a church in Gyeonggi Province that became the site of an outbreak, and took a nasal swab from the pastor on tape — something he is still remembered by. Unlikely hero Neither Lee's notorious foul-mouthed rant at his sister-in-law, the recording of which was leaked to the public, nor his alleged affair with an actress, significantly hurt his popularity. After his defeat to former President Yoon Suk Yeol three years ago, Lee ran for and won a seat on the National Assembly, which was criticized as a possible ploy to evade his legal problems as sitting lawmakers have immunity from certain criminal proceedings. Lee eventually sat on the top of the Democratic Party leadership ladder, and while he was the party's chair, almost had an arrest warrant out against him. Lee is "more like a villain, albeit a popular villain, than a hero," a Democratic Party insider said. "Sure he may not play nice. But you know what? You can count on him to get things done." Lee's rise is often seen as a modern Korean dream. At 54, he launched his first presidential bid in 2017 at the Seongnam factory where he had worked as a child to support his family. Standing beside his mother, he recalled losing function in one arm from an accident there — an injury that left a lasting disability. Despite no formal schooling, Lee passed the bar, graduated from Chung-Ang University, and engaged in civic activism as a practicing lawyer before entering politics. Lee once said he is motivated by anger.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Yujadanji
Yujadanji is a traditional Korean court dessert made by stuffing citron peel with its zest and pulp, jujubes, chestnuts and pomegranate. When served with syrup after aging, it offers a sweet, tart flavor and a burst of fragrant citrus in every bite. Try this recipe by Jjilae. Jjilae is a digital creator specializing in traditional Korean desserts. Find more recipes at the YouTube channel Jjilae. Source: "Jjille's Classic Tteok House" by Beak Yoona (Sidaein) Ingredients: 8 citrons 1 tablespoon salt 80 grams jujubes 120 grams chestnuts 70 grams pomegranate seeds 50 grams honey 80 grams sugar 1 liter water 500 grams sugar Serves 8 Instructions: Boil 1 liter of water with 500 grams of sugar in a pot to make syrup. Once it reaches a boil over high heat, reduce to low and simmer until slightly thickened. Let cool. Wash the citrons thoroughly with baking soda. Zest only the yellow outer peel using a zester. Avoid the white pith to prevent bitterness. Fill a pot with enough water to cover the citrons and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Blanch the peeled citrons for 5–10 seconds and remove. Cut off the top of each citron. Gently insert a spoon to separate the pulp from the peel. Remove seeds and finely chop the pulp. Thinly slice 80 grams jujubes and 120 grams chestnuts. In a mixing bowl, combine with the citron zest, chopped pulp, 70 grams pomegranate seeds, 50 grams honey, and 80 grams sugar. Mix well. Stuff the citron shells with the filling mixture. Cover each citron with its top. Lay three strings over the top as shown in photos. Wrap one string horizontally around the middle to secure. Take one base string and insert it under the center string from outside to inside to connect. Repeat with the remaining five strings. Gather all strings upward and tie at the top in the center of the citron. Place the tied citrons in a glass jar. Pour in the prepared syrup until the citrons are fully submerged. Let them age for 10 days.
