[Exclusive] Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Discusses Relocation Measures for Semi-basement Residents with SH

Mayor Oh presides over meeting with Executive Kim Heon-dong and staff
Task Force formed centered on Seoul City Housing, Residential, and Safety Measures

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon holds a press briefing for the 'Mom and Dad Happiness Project' at the Seoul City Hall briefing room on the 18th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporters Minyoung Kim, Seoyul Hwang] It has been confirmed that Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon presided over a closed-door meeting to discuss relocation plans for residents living in semi-basement homes. Additionally, Mayor Oh is reported to have formed a task force (TF) dedicated to conducting a survey on semi-basement housing conditions and detailed implementation plans.

According to Seoul city officials on the 19th, Mayor Oh Se-hoon held the first meeting on the 18th at Seoul City Hall with Kim Heon-dong, President of Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation (SH), and officials from the Seoul Housing Policy Division to discuss detailed relocation implementation plans for residents of semi-basement homes. The meeting focused intensively on public rental housing supply plans and enhanced residential welfare support for vulnerable groups living in semi-basement housing. Prior to this, under Mayor Oh’s directive, Seoul completed the formation of a task force (TF) responsible for conducting a survey on semi-basement housing and detailed implementation plans and has begun full-scale operations. A Seoul city official stated, "Departments related to housing policy, residential welfare, and safety improvement collaborated to create the TF for executing semi-basement measures. We will start the survey on semi-basement housing beginning with areas severely affected by flooding, such as Dongjak-gu in Seoul, and proceed faster than the year-end schedule while identifying policy beneficiaries."

Recently, Mayor Oh has been actively preparing countermeasures in response to deaths and flood damage caused by heavy rains. On the 10th, he announced the introduction of a sunset policy for semi-basement homes, and on the 15th, he unveiled additional measures including ▲a full survey of 200,000 semi-basement households ▲supply of more than 230,000 public rental housing units ▲monthly support of 200,000 KRW for up to two years for semi-basement households relocating above ground.

However, experts advise that instead of focusing solely on phasing out semi-basement homes, policies should be framed to recognize them as living spaces while transforming them into safe environments. According to the Population and Housing Census data, as of 2020, out of approximately 330,000 semi-basement households nationwide, 200,000 reside in Seoul. While the city intends to phase out semi-basement homes gradually over time, existing residents may resist relocation due to changes in their living areas and increased housing costs.

In fact, a family who died in a semi-basement home was renting for a deposit of 5 million KRW and monthly rent of 200,000 KRW. With the same budget, to rent a public housing unit with 2 to 3 rooms, the minimum exclusive area would need to be about 18 pyeong (approximately 59.5 square meters). This inevitably increases the burden of deposit, rent, and maintenance fees. The day before, Mayor Oh addressed Seoul’s policy to eliminate semi-basement homes by stating, "We have set a goal to gradually reduce them over a sufficient period," and added, "Because of the terms ‘ban’ and ‘phase-out,’ there is a perception that residents are being forcibly removed, which seems to be a misunderstanding." This appears to be a response to public concerns.

Professor Jo Joo-hyun, Emeritus Professor of Real Estate at Konkuk University, said, "Policies to eliminate semi-basement homes or directly support housing costs without a significant increase in rental housing supply risk raising rents. For now, the best measure is to focus on facility improvements to make these spaces safe residential environments."

Choi Eun-young, Director of the Korea Urban Research Institute, commented, "While I agree with the direction to reduce semi-basement homes, no alternatives have been proposed for existing homes that threaten health and safety. Among the 200,000 semi-basement households, there are both tenants and owners, but the policy feels insufficiently comprehensive."