"Is This Even a Room?" Foreigners Shocked by 250-Dollar Gosiwon, but Korean Netizens Say "Best Value for Money"

American YouTuber Surprised by Korean Gosiwon
"It's So Small... Different From Seoul's Image"
Korean Internet Users: "Cost-Effective with Maintenance Fees and Meals Included"

A video by an American YouTuber with 6.55 million subscribers, in which he visits gosiwon across Seoul and shows their interiors, has gone viral. While he was surprised by the housing conditions that contrast with Seoul's image, Korean internet users reacted by saying that "there are no maintenance fees and even meals are provided, so the cost-effectiveness is good."

Interior of a goshiwon in Seoul revealed by American YouTuber Drew Binsky. Drew Binsky's YouTube

Over 1.92 million views... Video featuring Korean gosiwon draws attention

YouTuber Drew Binsky recently uploaded a 33-minute video titled "Inside the Smallest Apartment in Korea" on his channel. As of the 9th, the video has surpassed about 1.92 million views and has drawn great interest, with around 2,500 comments posted.

In the video, Binsky travels around Seoul and meets people living in tiny rooms. He said, "Seoul is one of the biggest, flashiest, and busiest cities on Earth," adding, "But hundreds of thousands of residents live in tiny apartments that barely fit a small bed."

Binsky introduced the home of a young man named Sangwoo, who lives in a gosiwon in Eunpyeong District, Seoul. After looking around Sangwoo's gosiwon, Binsky said, "It is really small," and explained, "Even the hallway at the entrance is only about 60 centimeters wide."

Sangwoo said, "My room has no window, so it is much cheaper than the other rooms," adding, "The monthly rent is 250 dollars (about 370,000 won)." He also added that air conditioning and Wi-Fi are provided, as well as food such as rice, instant noodles, and kimchi, and that doing laundry is also possible. Sangwoo said, "My goal is to save 70,000 dollars (about 100 million won) while living in this gosiwon," adding, "Even if I save all the money, I will still live in a gosiwon. I really like it."

A look at an approximately 2.5-pyeong goshiwon introduced by Drew Binsky. Drew Binsky YouTube

Binsky also presented the case of Taeseong, who lives in a gosiwon of about 2.5 pyeong. The monthly rent for this room is 285 dollars (about 420,000 won), which is more expensive than the gosiwon introduced earlier, but the space is even smaller. After looking around the space, Binsky said, "I've only been here for five minutes, but I already feel physically uncomfortable and cramped," adding, "I can't believe that as many as 150,000 people in Seoul live in gosiwon or such tiny rooms."

"No need to worry about maintenance fees and they provide meals" Unexpected reactions from Korean internet users

Among viewers of the video, some internet users expressed positive views about the cost-effectiveness of gosiwon. One user wrote, "When you include electricity, water, gas, internet, heating and cooling costs, transportation costs, and maintenance fees, plus the fact that rice, instant noodles, eggs, and kimchi are provided, a monthly cost of 300,000 to 450,000 won is manageable," adding, "If it is near your workplace, your daily commute time can be reduced by two to three hours, and since you have few belongings, you can finish moving with just one taxi ride." The user went on to say, "Aside from the noise from next door and the frustration of communal living, it is actually a very cost-effective housing option."

Another internet user compared the situation with overseas housing and argued, "Among advanced countries, Korea is probably the only country where you can live in a room equipped with internet and air conditioning, with unlimited instant noodles and rice provided, for 250 dollars a month." The user continued, "The fact that the man in the first case was even able to invest in stocks is because his housing costs are relatively low," adding, "In other advanced countries, there is almost no money left after paying rent and food expenses."

Interior of a so-called 'coffin home' in Hong Kong. Documentary from the YouTube channel Ruhi Cheneteu

Some internet users compared gosiwon in Korea with Hong Kong's so-called "coffin homes," saying that Korean gosiwon offer a relatively better housing environment. Coffin homes are an ultra-small type of housing, with an average area of only about 1.5 square meters (about 0.45 pyeong), where a single bed makes up the entire space. The height is also only around 1 meter, so low that an adult sitting upright can touch the ceiling with their head, making it practically impossible to do anything other than lie down and sleep. Internet users reacted by saying, "Compared to Hong Kong, it's heaven," and "Compared to Hong Kong's coffin homes, Korean gosiwon look spacious."