Jeon Hyun-moo's House Price 4.5 Billion Won, Park Na-rae 5.5 Billion Won... Viewers Say "Am I the Only One Living Well?"
Capital Area's Top 20% House Prices Surpass 1.5 Billion Won... Doubled Since Moon Administration
Experts Say "Viewers Sometimes Feel a Gap with Celebrities' Luxurious Lives"
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "I wish celebrities would stop showing off their houses.", "Seeing 'Hangang view' apartments only gives me a sense of relative deprivation."
As housing prices soar to unprecedented heights, the hardships of ordinary people are increasing, and recently, more viewers have expressed discomfort with observation reality shows. Observation reality shows depict celebrities' daily lives through surveillance-style cameras, with MBC's "I Live Alone" and KBS2's "The Return of Superman" being representative examples.
Civilians point out that the wealthy and luxurious lives of celebrities in observation reality shows cause viewers to feel relative deprivation. While ordinary people suffer from skyrocketing housing and rental prices, the glamorous lives of celebrities create a sense of disconnect from reality. Experts note that the luxurious lifestyles of celebrities provoke resentment among viewers weary of "owning a home."
Recently, controversy arose as the prices of houses where "I Live Alone" cast members such as Jeon Hyun-moo, Park Na-rae, and Hwasa live were revealed. According to a media report last month, the apartment Jeon Hyun-moo recently moved into is the "Samsung-dong I-Park," where a 156㎡ (approximately 59 pyeong) unit was traded for 4.49 billion KRW at the end of last year.
Park Na-rae purchased a detached house in Itaewon through an auction. The property has a land area of 551㎡ (approximately 166 pyeong) and a building area of 319㎡ (approximately 97 pyeong), consisting of one basement floor and two above-ground floors. Initially listed at 4.8 billion KRW in the auction market, five bidders participated, but Park Na-rae won the bid with 5.51122 billion KRW, securing first priority.
Also, the "Hannam Podoville," known to be the residence of Mamamoo's Hwasa, is a large luxury villa consisting of seven households, with a 180㎡ (approximately 55 pyeong) unit priced at 3 billion KRW.
As the housing prices of celebrities were disclosed, viewers expressed feelings of relative deprivation. While it is true that the cast members earned money legitimately and purchased homes, the rapid rise in housing prices under the current government has caused ordinary people struggling to own homes to feel powerless.
Office worker Jeon Mo (25) said, "The life of celebrities and my life are so different that I can't relate. Ordinary people have long lost the dream of owning a home and are just busy making ends meet daily," adding, "During the COVID-19 pandemic, with job insecurity worsening, seeing celebrities' glamorous lives makes me feel unnecessarily shabby."
He continued, "At the beginning of the program, I used to watch it regularly. But now, since it only shows how well they live, it's not very interesting."
There are also many criticisms that "I Live Alone" no longer aligns with the program's original purpose. The program introduction states, 'In an era of 4.53 million single-person households in South Korea, where single-person households have become a trend, the program aims to form a social consensus.' However, the current direction of the program is far from social consensus.
Netizens also responded with comments such as, "'I Live Alone' should be renamed 'Only I Live Well'," "I used to watch the original broadcasts in the early days, but now it seems different from the program's purpose," and "It's enviable but also sad. It's a world where even if you work hard, you can't own a home. It feels like living in a different world."
A citizen is overlooking the city from Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, Songpa-gu, Seoul. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Meanwhile, it is becoming increasingly difficult for citizens to own homes. Recently, housing prices in Seoul as well as Gyeonggi and Incheon have risen sharply, with the top 20% housing prices in the metropolitan area surpassing an average of 1.5 billion KRW for the first time.
According to the monthly housing price trend time series statistics from KB Kookmin Bank's Liv Real Estate on the 2nd, the average housing price for the top 20% (5th quintile) in the metropolitan area last month was 1.50893 billion KRW, marking the highest since KB began releasing metropolitan area statistics in April 2013. This is also the first time the average price exceeded 1.5 billion KRW.
Notably, at the start of the Moon Jae-in administration in May 2017, the average price of these houses was 790.62 million KRW, nearly doubling in four years and three months.
Experts point out that the luxurious houses shown in observation reality shows can be a factor causing resentment among viewers.
Jung Deok-hyun, a popular culture critic, said, "'I Live Alone' is a program that shows the lives of people living alone. However, as it gradually deviates from its original purpose, questions arise about whether the show truly depicts the life of living alone," adding, "Living alone in a luxury house is practically difficult. But recently, as such luxurious lifestyles have appeared frequently, resentment has grown."
He continued, "In the early days, there was a realistic aspect, such as showing celebrities living in rooftop rooms. But now, it shows scenes like parties in spacious houses. People feel a sense of distance from these scenes."
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