KBS1 ‘Docu ON’

At 10:15 p.m. on the 7th, KBS1 ‘Docu ON’ airs ‘When the Sun Reaches the Foothills of Namsan’.

Seoul is a city that has grown at an unprecedented pace. As industrialization progressed, the population surged and the city expanded in a compressed way. Building fast and filling fast changed the appearance of Seoul in a short time.

However, on the flip side of rapid growth, demolition and relocation followed in proportion to that speed. Seoul is a city that constantly builds anew and, at the same time, constantly tears down. There is a place where the conflicts that arose in this process are most intensely concentrated: jjokbang settlements.

‘Which comes first, demolition or securing existing residents housing rights?’ Recently, a space has emerged that presents a new answer to this long standing question. Ahead of the Yangdong jjokbang settlement redevelopment in Seoul, a public rental housing complex, Haedeunjip, first relocated more than 140 jjokbang households.

■ Development without forced eviction, the first private sector led ‘relocate first, redevelop later’ – Haedeunjip

KBS1 ‘Docu ON’

Haedeunjip was created between Seoul Station and Namsan in preparation for the redevelopment of the Yangdong jjokbang settlement. It is a public rental housing complex with three basement floors and 18 above ground, and after its completion in 2025, relocations began in September, with more than 140 households completing move in.

It differed from conventional renewal projects in that it secured housing for residents before redevelopment. It is the first private sector led ‘relocate first, redevelop later’ model, securing living space first and then demolishing existing buildings after relocation was completed.

Rather than managing conflicts such as forced evictions, it was a choice to reduce the very conditions under which conflict arises. It is the first private sector led cyclical renewal that changes the city long standing growth formula.

“An extremely unusual situation has unfolded. It is not simply about improving housing, but a relocation that allows residents to keep their networks with neighbors intact; in a way, a new social experiment has begun.” (Choi Eun-Young, Director / Korea Urban Research Institute)

■ The relationships moved together as well – Namdaemun Jjokbang Counseling Center

KBS1 ‘Docu ON’

Another feature of ‘Haedeunjip’ is that, along with the residential space, the existing welfare services moved too. The counseling center is an organization that had been in charge of resident counseling and support in the Namdaemun jjokbang settlement before redevelopment, and the same social workers continue to meet residents after the relocation.

Although the residential environment has changed, the agents and methods of support were not cut off. From daily life and nursing consultations and medical and basic livelihood support to self sufficiency and independence support, emotional support, and safety checks, they provide seamless assistance to residents who face a new space and changed routines.

It is a choice to reduce gaps that can arise in the process of adapting to the space newly formed after relocation. Housing relocation and welfare support were not separated but designed as a single living sphere. In previous jjokbang settlement projects, residents often scattered to rental housing in different areas. Physical relocation was possible, but relationships were severed. Haedeunjip did not dismantle existing relationships and moved them together. Through Haedeunjip, it examines what becomes possible when relationships are relocated together.

“I believe it deserves more attention because social welfare that enables residents to settle well in a new place and live as a confident member of society has been integrated (Kim Hye-Jeong, Senior Research Fellow / Seoul Welfare Foundation)

■ A changed space, what changes is it bringing about?

KBS1 ‘Docu ON’

Four months have passed since move in. What changes has the relocation to Haedeunjip brought to the roughly 140 households? Can it lead beyond a change of space to changes in attitudes toward life and in relationships with neighbors?

A change of space does not immediately change life. However, options that were not considered before are beginning to increase one by one. Small and modest expectations. With those expectations, some people find the strength to rebuild their lives. It closely observes the daily lives of Haedeunjip residents who restore ties with family, seek new paths, and gather the will to stand up again.

■ Haedeunjip as a single village

Seoul City Haedeunjip is a village in itself. Residents of Haedeunjip are people who lived together in the jjokbang settlement for as few as 10 years and as many as 40. They know each other better than anyone, and they rely on and care for one another when needed. Haedeunjip did not dismantle these ties. There are also various shared spaces for residents. A kitchen and dining hall where residents can gather. Rehabilitation spaces such as an alcohol self help group, a communal workshop, and common relaxation areas exist in daily life. Thus, Haedeunjip functions not as a mere housing space but as a living community. It is a village designed so that people can maintain their own lives without becoming isolated.

■ Jjokbang settlements that still remain, tasks ahead

There are currently 10 major jjokbang settlements remaining nationwide, five of which are in Seoul. Next to ‘Haedeunjip’, around 40 households of former Yangdong jjokbang settlement residents who, for administrative reasons and other factors, could not be incorporated as ‘Haedeunjip’ residents still remain.

Housing is not a new question. It has recurred across eras and places, with only the methods of resolution changing. Nor have conflicts disappeared. What remains is a matter of choice in the attitude and methods for addressing those conflicts. Seoul Haedeunjip shows one of those choices: securing housing first and discussing subsequent changes afterward. This case is less a finished answer than a process of confirming what directions are possible. It examines the meaning and possibilities of the changes that this choice has produced.