“Supsegwon = Landslide, Ribyuv = Another Term for Flood Risk Area” [Seomideum's Book Talk]

[Asia Economy, Reporter Seo Mideum] “Seeing is believing.” The fact that seeing something once is better than hearing about it a hundred times is more than common sense; it is close to a truth. Even when explaining an excellent baesanimsu (mountain at the back, water in front) terrain, words cannot keep up with the eyes. This is also why Kim Sideok, an urban literature scholar, travels across the country. He walks at least three to four times a week, from local neighborhoods to distant areas. He captures all the information he sees in photos and records them in Google Docs. So far, as a humanities scholar, he has observed regions from the perspective of how countries relate to each other and have waged wars. “By visiting areas where rapid changes seem imminent and recording them,” he analyzed the past and predicted the future. However, a few years ago, someone asked, “Where is a good place to live?” which changed his perspective. He found practical value in situations where “rapid change” leads to land development, redevelopment, and reconstruction. His viewpoint expanded from an academic perspective to an economic one: “Where to live” or “where to buy.”

He gained significant attention with works like “Seoul Declaration” (2018) and “Conflict City” (2020), which introduced Seoul’s history and culture from the perspective of ordinary people. On June 14, we met him again with his new book “Where Should We Live?” (Forest Books), which deals with practical matters from a humanities scholar’s perspective. Below is the full Q&A.

- You boldly revealed advice about places to live and places to buy.

▲Until now, my field visits were not to find places to live or invest but to record cities. However, I found out that many actual residents and investors interested in real estate read my book. Many people use my field visit records as a source of insight about planned development sites. So, I decided to write this book to provide a resource that can be intuitively used for field visits.

- You devoted many pages to the administrative capital. Seoul’s overcrowding is a chronic problem. Since President Park Chung-hee’s era, relocating the administrative capital has been discussed. As part of this, the Sejong government complex was built, and public institutions moved to provinces. Why do you evaluate this positively?

▲For someone like me who considers unification impossible or a very long-term future event, the center of Korea in terms of area and population is indeed the Sejong, Cheongju, Daejeon, Gongju, and Nonsan region. This perception was accepted as legitimate, so when President Roh Moo-hyun pushed for capital relocation, subsequent presidents could not reverse it. Based on this perception, the current capital Seoul is not only geographically skewed but also has too many people near the border with North Korea. This is a heavy burden both in terms of security and economy. I judge that shifting the national center to Sejong and surrounding areas is positive in many respects.

- But you said a full administrative capital relocation is practically impossible. Instead, you argued for establishing the National Assembly Sejong building and the Blue House Sejong office.

▲During President Roh Moo-hyun’s time, the Constitutional Court ruled the capital relocation unconstitutional. While another constitutional appeal is possible, it is difficult amid political division among citizens. Therefore, the practical way to relocate the capital is to establish the National Assembly Sejong building and the Blue House Sejong office.

- However, the fatigue caused by the distance between Seoul and Sejong seems hard to overcome.

▲As long as Sejong city officials waste time traveling to Seoul’s Yeouido to meet lawmakers, the administrative capital’s functions cannot be fully realized. Personally, I think it would be good if lawmakers split their terms into thirds: one-third in their constituency, one-third in Sejong, and one-third in Seoul.

- In a divided country, security is a top priority for development. Are there signs of change due to the entrenched division?

▲Security remains the top priority for development. It was revealed that during the development of Ilsan New Town, the developers and the military held detailed consultations and documented them. Such consultations are presumed to continue in subsequent new town developments. Therefore, large-scale new town development has not occurred in areas north of Unjeong New Town, such as Paju City, Yeoncheon County, and Cheorwon County. Godeok International New Town has not been fully developed due to the presence of U.S. military facilities.

- Still, you pointed out Paju, often overlooked as a military city, as a cost-effective residential area. Why?

▲Large-scale development in the Paju area is difficult due to the unpredictable situation facing North Korea. Therefore, for people like me who want to live in one place for a long time, it is a land of opportunity. The development pressure is relatively low in old towns or rural areas. While Goyang City has seen development as security concerns eased somewhat, Paju maintains the pleasantness of riverside locations due to its special status as a border area.

- Recently, heavy rain caused apartment retaining walls to collapse and landslides, causing significant damage. Yet, you criticized such areas being marketed as “forest proximity” to preserve housing prices. How can one develop a proper perspective?

▲“Forest proximity” is another term for “landslide risk area,” and “river view” or “ocean view” is another term for “flood risk area.” This reality was blatantly revealed in the Pohang area of Gyeongsangbuk-do, damaged by Typhoon Hinnamnor. It is a regrettable reality. The existing real estate discourse lacked the element of “risk.” So far, suppliers have sold products without mentioning “risk” to consumers, and individuals who later realize the “risk” have repeatedly passed these risky products to the next consumer like a hot potato. To stop this, information must be disclosed more transparently, and consumers must actively conduct field visits. It is good to develop a habit of carefully searching for information and looking at satellite images rather than just maps.

- You identified places called Haebangchon or Suyongso (detention camps) as planned development sites. Why?

▲After Korea’s liberation in 1945 and the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, many citizens from northern Korea and overseas moved south. These places are called Haebangchon or Suyongso nationwide. Haebangchon or Suyongso are often located in lowlands outside old downtown areas. Immigrants settled in these low-lying areas prone to flooding, where existing residents did not want to live. Later, with the development of flood control technology and the reduction of vacant spaces in downtown, these Haebangchon or Suyongso attracted attention as good land for large-scale housing development. Examples include Magok district in Gangseo-gu, Seoul; Ilsan New Town in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province; and Haengjeong-ri, Hyangnam-eup, Hwaseong City.

- You also cited easing building height and floor area ratio restrictions as a solution to housing shortages.

▲Ultimately, people want to live in downtown areas, whether Seoul, Busan, or Gwangju. But when high-density urbanization is blocked for various reasons, urban sprawl occurs into surrounding areas. People pushed out of old downtown areas complain about longer commuting and school times, and suburban or rural areas that do not want urbanization complain about losing residential stability due to land development. Personally, I agree with the argument that agglomeration enhances urban competitiveness. By not obstructing reconstruction and redevelopment, I hope high-rise building clusters appear throughout downtown areas, creating synergy effects according to capitalist principles.

- Emphasizing capitalist logic might cause vulnerable groups to be marginalized. What about that?

▲Of course, the state should recoup a significant portion of the profits generated from urban development and supply rental housing on a larger and longer-term scale to secure social diversity within cities. I believe social diversity is the fundamental factor that creates urban vitality.

- You insisted on always traveling by public transportation during field visits.

▲Using public transportation allows you to accurately understand local pollution issues, bus convenience, elevation differences of hills and valleys, and the location of commercial areas. Entrepreneurs often settle for months at a desired store location to observe foot traffic. The same principle applies to those looking for a place to live. The real estate industry tends to use the term “station area” too loosely. I recommend thoroughly checking whether the area you want to live in is truly a station area and what types of trains (subway, KTX, light rail, etc.) run there. Not all trains nationwide are as convenient as Seoul Subway Line 2.

- Many struggle not only to “buy” a place but even to “live” somewhere. Leaving Seoul is an option, but it’s hard to leave Gyeonggi Province due to work. Any strategic advice for securing a place to live?

▲Since citizens nationwide face different situations, it is difficult to give a one-size-fits-all strategy. However, one piece of advice is that there may be unexpectedly good places to live outside the areas you are familiar with. I encourage you to actively explore and conduct field visits in unfamiliar areas. If that is difficult, you can refer to my book and the broadcasts and YouTube channels I appear on, which cover every corner of the country on your behalf. (laughs)