Lawmaker's 'bus house' proposal for youth sparks political firestorm

A proposal to repurpose retired buses into temporary housing for young people has sparked a fierce debate in South Korea, pitting a ruling party lawmaker's innovative idea against sharp criticism from the opposition.

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We propose a program to remodel decommissioned buses into living spaces and provide them as short-term housing for young people near universities.

Hwang Hee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea and the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, suggested "Bus House" as a potential solution for student housing. He envisioned converting decommissioned buses into living spaces, particularly for university students needing short-term accommodation. Hwang cited Amsterdam's successful "boathouse" initiative, where converted vessels provide over 10,000 housing units, as inspiration.

"If we estimate the remodeling cost at around 50 million won, the total cost for 10,000 units would only be about 500 billion won," Hwang wrote on Facebook, suggesting the use of spaces near universities or subway stations to enhance mobility. He also proposed the possibility of mobile bus houses that could be driven or transported by trailer.

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Hwang, who is trying to imitate the Netherlands' boathouses, has turned young people into 'refugees on the road.' He should immediately withdraw his remarks and apologize.

The opposition People Power Party immediately condemned the idea. Park Choong-kwon, the party's senior spokesperson, called it an "insult to youth" and demanded Hwang "immediately withdraw the remarks and apologize." Park urged Hwang to become the "first resident" of a bus house himself. He criticized the proposal as a "one-dimensional logic" that fails to consider South Korea's dense population and narrow territory, unlike the Netherlands. The party argued that suggesting repurposed buses as housing, without a proper supply chain, is a "clear insult" to the younger generation.

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The one-dimensional logic of suggesting that retired buses can be remodeled for 50 million won, without considering the reality of South Korea's narrow territory and high population density, merely reveals policy ignorance and irresponsibility.