Seoul story #4. Obtaining a house at Seoul

 Some of the students who attend university are difficult to attend school. It is a student who is too far from home to take the time to school, or the cost of school trip is too expensive to attend school. Such students will have a residence near the school. Let's find out how students prepare their place in Korea.

 

1. GiSookSa : Dormitory

 This is the most representative method. There are dormitories provided by the university, and there are dormitories provided by the province to students who come to Seoul from the province. When you live in a dormitory, you can meet a variety of students as a roommate. Staying with your roommates is not lonely and you can depend on each other. It is also cheaper to live in a dormitory. Although it costs meals, it is advantageous for the dormitory to be cheaper than the cost of attends.

 I stayed in a university dormitory and used the same room as three students. One of them is a friend, and the other is a friend I met in a dormitory. I used to eat rice and play online games together on the weekend. I was able to make many good memories and it was an enjoyable experience. On the other hand, it was a little sad being in university on the weekend, but it seemed to be enough because there were many advantages of dormitory.

 

2. Ja Chui : Living alone

 Korea's ‘living alone' have a unique culture. It is the word Jeon-se, it means 'house of charter'. The Jeon-se is less than the house price, and the rent is more expensive than the monthly rent. It is a kind of 'deposit'. The amount varies, but it ranges from 50 million won (about 44,000 dollars) to a few billion won (hundreds of thousands of dollars). And contracts for two or three years. What is strange is that when you move out two or three years later, you get the money back from the landlord. It's not about paying for 'using' the house, but about giving it a 'borrowing' for the house. And when you leave the house, you can get the money again. So how does the landlord benefit? He leave the amount to the bank. And he will benefit from receiving interest on it. But nowadays, interest rates are low, so Jeon-se is gradually decreasing.

 I explained about the Jeon-se, but in fact most students stay at home on monthly rent. They pay a full month every month, but they can afford to pay a deposit that is cheaper than a Jeon-se, so they usually stay in monthly rent. Of course, the monthly rent is generally higher than the dormitory fee. However, students who want to live alone or do not like the dormitory's system do so. Also, unlike the dormitory, it has the advantage of being able to cook directly in the house. But can they reduce food expenses? Students tend to buy mainly because it is annoying to cook. :)

On the other hand, the cost of monthly rent is higher the closer the house are to the school and the closer to the subway station. It is because 'accessibility' is good, so students inevitably live close to school or station. It is because they can not give up accessibility.

 

3. Gosiwon

 It is a very special place. It is not a dormitory, nor a monthly rent house. It is a little more expensive than a dormitory, and cheaper than monthly house, because it does not have a 'deposit'. But the space is very narrow. Some people compare this to the notion of. 'Henhouse', 'Prison', 'Pokemon Ball(!)', 'Coffin'. It is clear that it is a poor environment. The structure of the room is on one side with a bed where one person can lie down, and on the opposite side is a desk. A little expensive, the room is equipped with a shower room and a toilet. There are about 20 to 30 rooms on one floor of the building. Is not it enough to live a person? Do not be alarmed, all these facilities are in 5 square meters. By analogy, there is not enough space for one person to stand. In fact, the etymology of Gosiwon is a 'examination(Korea word 'Gosi')' + room(Korea word 'Won')', a room for study. In other words, it is a room to get away from anything other than studying in order to prepare important examinations such as civil service examinations. On the other hand, Gosiwon shows the bitter reality of Korea.

 It is often is used as a temporary residence at the university campus. It is a place where student Be dropped from a dormitory but when they have to stay at the university campus. The cost of the commuting is burdensome, people unable to attend school, and people who only need a place to eat and sleep can find it. Often there are students who think that Gosiwon is enough to living. They adapt at Gosiwon so well and live well.