Seoul residents of cramped 'jjokbang' rooms find new homes, averting eviction

Residents of a cramped jjokbang ("single-room") village in Seoul who faced forced eviction have secured new homes with help from the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

The city said Saturday it had completed the selection of tenants for 42 vacant units at Haedeunjip, a public rental housing complex built through the redevelopment of the Namdaemun jjokbang village — specifically the Yangdong Districts 11 and 12. With the latest round, the city said it has finished supplying all 182 units at the complex.

About 2,000 people were living in jjokbang villages across Seoul as of the end of December 2025, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Haedeunjip — meaning "a home filled with sunlight and hope" — is a rental housing complex completed four years after a redevelopment plan was finalized in December 2021, with the land donated to the city. The latest round covers 42 units, including vacancies that arose after the initial move-in of 142 households last September.

Haedeunjip is the first jjokbang redevelopment project to adopt a "relocate first, redevelop later" approach — building rental housing for residents before demolishing existing structures, rather than clearing the site outright or forcing residents to leave. The same model is now planned for a privately led redevelopment of the jjokbang village in Changsin-dong, Jongno-gu, while the Yeongdeungpo jjokbang village is being pursued as a public housing project with a goal of breaking ground before the end of the year.

Because only 42 units were available, the city convened an expert advisory panel to set selection criteria that would prioritize residents with the greatest need for housing support. Applicants had to be members of households without property who had lived in a jjokbang for at least three months as of the public recruitment notice date and met the income and asset requirements for public rental housing. From among eligible applicants, 42 were chosen in order of priority according to a scoring table.

The 42 selected households will move into Haedeunjip after completing the necessary procedures, including signing lease agreements. The city plans to work with related agencies, including jjokbang counseling centers, to support residents through every step — from signing contracts to moving in — with the goal of completing all move-ins by year's end. After moving in, residents will be connected to a range of welfare services through the Haedeunji Center in the same building, including lifestyle and nursing counseling, medical and basic livelihood support, self-sufficiency assistance and emotional support, to help them settle into the community.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it will continue to monitor the move-in and settlement process at Haedeunjip and apply lessons from its operation to future redevelopment projects in jjokbang-dense areas and housing-upgrade programs for vulnerable residents.

"This additional supply focused on providing stable housing to residents with the greatest need — including those facing eviction," said Jeong Jin-woo, the city's welfare director. "We will not stop at simply providing space for the selected residents, but will support both housing and welfare services together to help them settle stably into the community."