Housing glut in Korea

Interesting summary in the Korea Times of the housing glut of the past years.

The article fails to note that although population is stagnating (and falling in certain areas) the number of households is actually increasing rapidly due to deep social changes eroding the three-generations-under-the-same-roof system: late marriages, a high divorce rate, seniors fending for themselves... Of course, the past and current supply of housing may not have yet fully adapted to these smaller households with presumably tighter budgets and less need for space.

Another factor may be the stalling of the economic engine which used to provide an endless supply of middle class families to buy into the much sought-after 'apateu' (high-rise apartment complex). Even with continuing national economic growth, the shrinking of the middle class and the widening social divide (so called polarization) may have thrown a spanner in the works.

Finally (for this post), the debt ratio of Korean households has never been higher, overtaking even the notoriously profligate American household, and limiting their capacity to finance new homes.

Busan magma

Busan is pure awesome urban magma flowing between steep wooded hills into the Korea Strait...

Nature and the city part 2

The previous post extolled the virtues of Seoul's cityscape set as it is in a range of rugged, albeit low, mountains more or less untouched by urbanization... So I love that some urban planners are taking seriously the idea of commingling nature and the city, even if this time it's about a "city" of 3000 set in a Norwegian fjord, maybe the polar opposite of Seoul. Still, it beats the Cheonggyecheon!

Visions of urban growth lapping at mountain sides...

I do love cities, especially, big unruly cities which never sleep, like Seoul, but I also believe human life cannot be complete without ready access to nature, a.k.a. naturally growing plants, naturally occurring landscape, and naturally flowing water. It may seem counter-intuitive: if nature is so important to you why not go live in the countryside instead of a city? But it is not: cities provide us with opportunities, connections, a variety of services and goods not readily found in the countryside. However, what is most basic to human life is: fresh air, pure water, fresh food, the sight of streams and trees. Without these, quality of life reduces considerably and the body and mind wither, as testified by the numerous physical and psychological pathologies of modern urban life.

Can the two be reconciled? In some measure at least, and cities vary in their success in reaching the right mix, usually leaning more towards urban dystopia unfortunately. If Seoul may itself be seen as a den of noise, flashing neon light, traffic congestion, frantic pace, all perhaps the inevitable flip-side of the aforementioned qualities, it is also one of the world's most fantastic cityscapes, thanks to its natural setting. Where else can you find a huge modern city strewn with rocky and jagged mountains covered in pine tree forests ? You can have the view of a scenic mountain view from behind skyscrapers and then also get the reverse view of the milling city seen from a mountain top, all within an hour. You can revel in the amenities of modern urban life and also access nature within minutes from a subway or a bus stop. And we're not talking about a tame urban park but real mountains with real forests.

I especially love the idea of walking in a dense urban neighborhood one minute and being on a forested mountainside the next - not a stretch of the mind in Seoul. Also it conjures a poetic scene of waves of urban growth lapping at the slopes of expanses of virgin nature (that's of course if you discount the hordes of middle-aged ajoshis and adjumas and the snack and soju carts which cater to them, but let's not go there). The so-called taldongnae (moon villages), former shanty towns which settled down where space was available and free, often higher up the slopes than the existing city, are good though vanishing places to have that experience. This NYT article has more about this including a few examples. The last time I went to Inwangsan (2007), I walked through a quaint perched-up taldongae before reaching the trees, but the appateu growth was looming just a little lower down.

Street vending warmth

It's close to freezing today and tall glass impersonal-looking
buildings tower all around this Gangnam business district, but a
myriad street stalls add a touch of chaos, charm and warmth! Selling important items such as shoes in the winter, mosquito-killing
electrified tennis rackets in the summer, fake Vuitton handbags all
year round. (The contraband DVD have disappeared over the past year so either some kind of policing is going on or downloading has become too easy...)

Seoul rooftop and empty sky

There are not many rooftops like this one in Seoul... Although this blog will probably be about the grittier and more dynamic aspects of the Korean city, I give you this elegant and witty view of a Gyeongbokgung palace rooftop on a backdrop of mountaintops. The shot is by talented photographer Blair Kitchener, a Seoul resident from New Zealand.

It may be hard to believe considering the total lack of urban clutter, but this photo was taken in the heart of Seoul. Granted, the empty sky takes up three quarters of the space, which by the way lends a zen-like quality to this landscape.

Korean buildings are meant to be seen from the inside looking out

Beautiful truth courtesy of the Marmot's Hole and the Western Confucian (in the comments).

Copyright RJ Koehler