[Untact, Changing Homes] Life Where the Boundary of Commuting Disappears... Changing the Standards of Housing

Escape from Seoul Jeonse Living, 'Own Home' in the Outskirts
Commute Hell on Subway Replaced by Life's Leisure

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[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Hyemin and Kim Dongpyo] As COVID-19 has accelerated the untact era, the criteria for choosing a home are also changing. Those who have embraced remote work no longer consider how close their home is to their workplace. Some have even left Seoul to be with family or to reduce financial burdens. With the freedom to work from anywhere, the range of housing options has expanded. We met people who chose their homes based on new standards in the untact era to hear their reasons and stories about their current lives.

◆ Settling the ‘Jeonse’ rental in Seoul and buying a ‘home’ in the outskirts: "The spread of untact platforms created an opportunity"

= Freelance publishing editor and writer Kim Jemin (37, pseudonym) ended 17 years of living in Jeonse rentals in Seoul and purchased an apartment in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province. Although it was a decision made under pressure, he ultimately thinks it was a good choice.

Mr. Kim and his wife set up their first newlywed home in a villa in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, in January last year. It was sufficient for the two of them and relatively inexpensive compared to market prices, but after a year, they received shocking news. The elderly landlords wanted to move in themselves and asked them to vacate within two months. After receiving compensation and moving out, Mr. Kim initially tried to find another Jeonse rental nearby. However, Jeonse listings were becoming scarce, and prices had already risen more than 10% compared to a year earlier. In a difficult situation, his wife gently asked, "Shall we buy an apartment in Gyeonggi-do and move in?"

"With the money we had, we couldn’t rent a Jeonse house nearby, so it was frustrating. I thought it would be better to buy a house rather than borrow more money." The couple eventually purchased a 25-pyeong apartment in Siheung, Gyeonggi-do.

The impact of COVID-19 played a big role in their decision to move to Siheung. With remote work becoming widespread and many supporting platforms emerging, Mr. Kim was able to do most of his work from home. In particular, the popularity of web novel platforms gave him the confidence that he didn’t have to live in Seoul. Siheung was also a reasonable location for his wife, who works as an airline ground staff, to commute.

"When we packed up and moved to Siheung, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being forced out because we didn’t own a home. Life in a place with no connections felt bleak. But looking back now, I think that decision was really the right one."

◆ Home in Cheongju, workplace in Seoul: "I quit the hellish subway commute and regained life’s leisure"

= Shin Haena (34), a 10-year employee at Studio Seed Korea, a software company in Seoul, moved to Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do, three months ago after getting married. She relocated with her husband, who was assigned to Cheongju. She was able to decisively choose to move away from the metropolitan area and end her daily commute of over an hour thanks to remote work becoming normalized after COVID-19.

"Our company allowed remote work even before, but those living in Seoul rarely did it. There are definitely advantages to working together in person. But after COVID-19, the company’s policy changed to ‘please avoid coming in,’ and the work style shifted, so we no longer had to live as a weekend couple."

Shin’s decision to leave the metropolitan area was greatly influenced by her seniors. "I had seen many people working remotely from Jeju, Chuncheon, and Daejeon. I wasn’t the first. Seeing them work well and live comfortably made my decision to ‘escape Seoul’ easier. I had already indirectly experienced good precedents."

She rented a 34-pyeong apartment in Cheongju for about 250 million KRW on a Jeonse contract. The home is spacious enough for a newlywed couple to set up a dedicated workspace. She found a house with a workspace at a price impossible to find in Seoul. Before moving to Cheongju, she also looked for Jeonse rentals in Seoul but found it “completely impossible.”

Most importantly, the pain of the ‘hell subway’ on Line 2 from Seoul National University Station to Gangnam disappeared, bringing more leisure to her life. "The biggest change is the time saved from spending almost two hours preparing for and commuting to work. If I had lived in Seoul, I would have eaten dinner around 9 p.m. now. I’m most grateful for the leisure to have breakfast with my husband and take evening walks."