From 3- and 5-Person Rooms to Studio Types, Fully Furnished
Shared Spaces and Mondragon University Move-In... Aiming to Be a Growth Platform
Corporate-Level Security and Operational Standards Applied
On the afternoon of August 8, near Sinchon Station in Seoul, the greenery of the terrace was visible beyond the large, tiered lounge. From the outside, the building resembled a hotel or an office complex, but stepping inside revealed a completely different scene: students studying, foreigners engrossed in preparing presentations. It was neither a school, a dormitory, nor an officetel, but a 'co-living' space.
This is 'Episode Sinchon Campus,' the eighth branch opened by SK D&D, the leader in Korea's co-living industry. It is not just a residential facility, but a 'growth platform' where university students and young professionals live together, learn, and grow. Move-ins began at the end of June, and the official opening was on August 11. The building has 18 floors above ground and 7 below, with a total of 393 units.
Co-living: Private Rooms within a Shared Living Structure
Episode Sinchon Campus 5-Person Room Private Room. Personal bed, wardrobe, shoe cabinet, desk, air conditioner, and lighting are provided in a fully furnished state, allowing immediate move-in without any luggage. Photo by Oh Yugyo.
Sinchon Campus consists of four room types and nine shared spaces. For the first time at this location, shared house-style multi-person rooms (for three or five people) have been introduced. 'Co-living' is a shared housing model that guarantees each resident a private bedroom while sharing kitchens, living rooms, lounges, and other communal areas. Originating in Europe, it has spread among young urban residents.
In a five-person unit, each suite includes five private rooms ranging from 8.6 to 12.7 square meters, along with a shared kitchen and bathroom. Each private room is fully furnished with a personal bed, wardrobe, shoe cabinet, desk, air conditioner, and lighting, allowing for immediate move-in without any luggage. The shared kitchen is equipped with individual storage spaces, appliances, and a communal table. Bathrooms are placed on both sides of the unit to minimize overlap in movement. The security deposit starts at 5 million won, and monthly rent for a five-person room starts at 990,000 won. Only single rooms allow pets.
Nine Shared Spaces: A Stage for Connection and Growth
Episode Shinchon Campus's 'Listening Room'. With custom-made audio equipment, you can enjoy audio, video, and console games. Photo by Oh Yugyo.
There are nine shared spaces throughout the complex that connect residents. The most prominent is the 'Grand Stair,' which spans the first and second floors. This tiered lounge, accommodating about 50 people, hosts resident lectures, community gatherings, and external conferences. Next to it, the 'EP Lounge' serves as a coworking space and is also available to non-residents for a fee.
The 'Focusing Lounge' on the seventh floor is a 24-hour study space modeled after British university libraries and features a curated selection of books by Still Books. The 'Listening Room' on the eighth floor is a media room equipped with custom-made high-end audio and soundproofing, as well as a game console. The 'Gathering Room' on the sixteenth floor is used for private parties, wine gatherings, and small events. Other shared spaces such as the cooking room, fitness center, and coworking room further enrich residents' daily lives.
Later this year, the Seoul campus of Spain's Mondragon University will move into the second floor, providing a base for hands-on experience with entrepreneurship and startup programs.
Trust in the SK Brand: Thorough Security and Operations
As nearby university dormitories could not keep up with demand, SK D&D pre-leased units to institutions such as Yonsei University and Sogang University through B2B contracts. These units were offered at lower rents than the general rate. The remaining units have been filled by office workers, foreign freelancers, students at Yonsei University's language institute, and startup founders. Office workers account for about one-third of all residents, with many working in Sangam or Hapjeong, or in global IT and media sectors. Nearly half of the units were pre-leased before the official opening.
To address chronic issues in shared housing such as privacy concerns and management conflicts, SK D&D has implemented corporate-level standards in security and operations. Room assignments take into account roommate preferences based on a pre-move-in survey, and gender separation is a basic principle. Access to exclusive areas is controlled by QR codes and cards, while each private room features a fingerprint recognition door lock. Bi-weekly cleaning services are provided. If there are vacancies in multi-person rooms, SK D&D covers the additional management fees. Repeated infractions such as smoking or excessive noise between floors may result in eviction.
Episode Sinchon Campus is currently offering promotions such as two months of free rent with a one-year contract and gift certificates for joint move-ins until mid-September. An SK D&D representative stated, "We want to create a living stage where connection and growth happen, going beyond just housing," and added, "Rather than splitting up the space to increase the number of units, we will expand residents' potential through shared spaces and community."
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