Before the Monsoon Arrives... Seoul City Takes Action to Prevent Flooding in Semi-Basement Apartments

Seoul City announced on the 11th that it will conduct a full survey of all semi-basement units across the city ahead of the rainy season and install flood prevention facilities.

Currently, there are approximately 220,000 semi-basement homes in Seoul. The city completed a visit survey last month for 28,000 semi-basement units where vulnerable households reside or that have a history of flooding.

Photo of a semi-basement in Banjija, Jungnang-gu, Seoul

Additionally, with the help of the 'Seoul Regional Architects Association,' a total of 532 architects have been deployed to conduct on-site visual inspections of the remaining semi-basement homes. As of the 10th, about 98% of the inspections have been completed, the city reported.

The semi-basement homes that have been surveyed are classified into four categories based on the necessity of installing flood prevention facilities: 'Very Necessary,' 'Moderate,' 'Slight,' and 'Unnecessary.'

For those classified as 'Very Necessary,' flood prevention facilities such as water barriers and emergency evacuation ladders and operable security windows will be installed. Even homes classified as 'Moderate' or 'Slight' will receive installations if vulnerable households reside there or if there is a history of flooding.

The city will store and manage the location, type, number of flood incidents, and flood prevention facility installation results for each semi-basement home obtained from this full survey in the 'Seoul Residential Safety Net System.'

Furthermore, the city will interview residents while inspecting the condition of semi-basement homes to identify households wishing to move to rental housing or upgrade their living conditions.

Various support measures have been expanded for vulnerable households seeking housing upgrades.

Starting this year, not only the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) but also the Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation (SH) public rental housing tenants will receive full deposit support with zero interest, and up to 50 million KRW can be borrowed interest-free when moving to private rental housing.

To reduce moving burdens, moving expenses of up to 400,000 KRW will be provided, and comprehensive services including housing counseling, housing cost support, housing supply support, and housing management will be offered through the 'Housing Safety Comprehensive Center,' which is planned to be established in one location per autonomous district by next year.

In line with this, the procedure for 'new rental housing lease contract signing,' previously only possible at SH headquarters, will be improved to be supported at the Housing Safety Comprehensive Centers.

Han Byung-yong, Director of Seoul City's Housing Policy Office, said, "Before the rainy season arrives, we plan to inspect all semi-basement units in the city and take preemptive measures where concerns exist. We will continue to support vulnerable housing groups so that they can live in more comfortable and safe environments."