South Korea reconsiders gosiwon bathtub rule after youth backlash

South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport has announced it will re-examine a controversial revision to building standards that would permit bathtubs in individual gosiwon rooms. The ministry's decision follows a swift backlash, primarily from young adults, who condemned the proposal as a detached and unrealistic approach to affordable housing.

The proposed amendment, which was open for administrative notice just nine days prior, aimed to ease regulations for multi-use facilities, specifically gosiwons. It included allowing bathtubs in individual units and removing the mandatory requirement for desks. The ministry stated this was in response to the growing trend of gosiwons being utilized as primary residences for single-person households.

However, the proposal ignited widespread criticism on social media platforms. Many young Koreans voiced their objections, questioning the rationale behind adding bathtubs to already cramped and basic gosiwon units. "Shouldn't we be focused on enabling people to live in places better than gosiwons, rather than installing bathtubs in them?" one common sentiment expressed online. The criticism suggests that the government's focus should be on improving the overall quality and affordability of housing options for young people, rather than making minor upgrades to substandard accommodations.

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Shouldn't we be focused on enabling people to live in places better than gosiwons, rather than installing bathtubs in them?