Gyeongin Women's University opens Lydia House dormitory, welcoming students from 10 countries

Gyeongin Women's University has opened an eco-friendly dormitory designed to improve student welfare and foster multicultural exchange.

The new facility, called Lydia House, is located on the university's SG campus in Incheon and spans a total floor area of 9,619.71 square meters across one below-ground floor and four above-ground floors, the university said Thursday.

The building contains 239 rooms — 97 single-occupancy rooms, 139 shared single rooms and three rooms for students with disabilities — and can accommodate up to 381 residents, including six students with disabilities.

Common facilities on the basement level include a shared kitchen, laundry room, reading room and convenience store, with lounge areas on each floor above.

Lydia House currently houses students from 10 countries: South Korea, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Malaysia, China, Laos and Sri Lanka.

The dormitory has drawn attention as a "small global village" where multicultural exchange happens naturally in everyday life.

It has become a flagship piece of global living infrastructure for Gyeongin Women's University, where international students account for roughly 20 percent of total enrollment — more than 600 students from 27 countries.

The name "Lydia" refers to a woman in the New Testament who opened her home to others. The dormitory takes her spirit of hospitality and sharing as a guiding principle, with the aim of nurturing inclusive women leaders.

"Lydia House is a specialized space where domestic and international students share cultures and languages in their daily lives and develop global competencies," university President Yuk Dong-in said. "We will provide full support so that Gyeongin Women's University can fulfill its role as a global institution connecting South Korea with the world."

An opening ceremony was held in the first-floor lobby, attended by government and political figures as well as university stakeholders. The dormitory began official operations in September and has since established itself as a comfortable home for students and a venue for international exchange.

Attendees at Wednesday's ceremony included Assembly member Kim Nam-jun, First Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim I-tak, and Cha Myeong-don, chief executive of the Happy Dormitory LLC under the Korea Private School Promotion Foundation, along with university founder and Honorary President Kim Gil-ja, Board Chairman Choe Gi-yeong and President Yuk.