Public rental housing will be constructed in Gwaengiburimaeul, Manseok-dong, Dong-gu, the oldest jjokbangchon (small-room village) in Incheon.
On the 3rd, Incheon City signed a business agreement with Dong-gu and Incheon Housing Corporation (iH) for the improvement project of the Gwaengiburimaeul jjokbangchon. These organizations plan to build 50 public rental housing units in Gwaengiburimaeul, where urgent maintenance is needed due to high safety accident risks, to help the current residents settle stably.
The rental housing project costs will be borne by Incheon City, while Dong-gu, as the maintenance project implementer, will cover the costs for infrastructure projects such as parks. iH will jointly carry out the project as the project agent. This year, the process of designating the maintenance zone for the residential environment improvement project will proceed, followed by compensation and design next year, with construction starting thereafter and aiming for occupancy by the end of 2026.
Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said, "Starting with the Gwaengiburimaeul project, we will focus on improving the environment of vulnerable residential areas, including jjokbangchon-dense areas in the city."
Gwaengiburimaeul is well known as the setting of the novel "Gwaengiburimal Aideul" by writer Kim Jung-mi. In the 1930s, factories were built by reclaiming the sea in front of Manseok-dong, and workers' lodgings were established. During the Korean War, it served as a settlement for refugees, and during industrialization, it became a settlement for migrants from various regions seeking jobs.
It is the oldest jjokbangchon in Incheon and a place where modern Korean living conditions remain intact. However, recently, as original residents have left the village, the number of vacant houses has increased, and the risk of safety accidents such as collapses due to aging buildings has grown.
In 2021, a residential regeneration-specialized New Deal project was promoted through a public contest by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, but it was canceled due to residents' opposition. The area was then reduced to a more urgent maintenance zone to encourage participation by public enterprises, but the project faced difficulties due to low profitability.
Accordingly, Incheon City's Innovation Task Force selected it as an innovation task and supported it, and with the city agreeing to bear the rental housing project costs, the project gained momentum. Now, with Incheon City, Dong-gu, and iH united in purpose, the project to improve the poor residential environment of Gwaengiburimaeul is getting on track.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
