Slums and Social Inequity in Korea

WB-KRIHS UKP Launching Semi-nar

1st July 2011

Young A Leeyalee@daegu.ac.kr

Daegu University

Background of forming and disap-pearing slums in Korea

Issues on Korean slums Spatial policies on slums Where do poor people live now? What do we need for social equity in

the Korean context?

Contents

Between the1960s and the 80s : Rapid Ur-ban Growth

- Industrialisation - Rural-Urban Migration - Urbanisation share rate : 27.7% (1960) to

81.9% (2010) - Expansion of cities (particularly in SMA) 1980s – 1990s : Active urban redevelop-

ment - Demolishment of slums and squatters and

eviction of poor residents under urban re-development projects

Background of Forming and Disap-pearing Slums in Korea

Urbanisation Share Trend

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010world developed countries developing countries Korea

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Korea Japan China Netherlands UK

Source: OECD, forthcoming,

In the 2000s, the population and economic growth have

slowed down.

- Particularly, populations in local cities and counties have

decreased more than ones in Seoul metropolitan areas.

Background of Forming and Disap-pearing Slums in Korea

Development pressure on slums decreased in local cities.Slums are disappearing in SMA.

　 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

SMASeoul 93.7 94.1 93.2 93.6 93.1

Gyeonggi 97.5 96.7 95.6 96.0 96.5Inchon 99.1 98.3 99.3 99.7 100.2

Pusan 97.9 99.8 99.9 100 99.7Deajeon 97.0 98.3 98.8 98.5 97.6Daegu 95.7 97.1 99.2 103 104.4

Gwangju 95.2 97.7 99.2 101.5 103.7Ulsan 99.5 100.9 102.9 104.9 104.7

Gwangwon 104.0 107.3 108.9 110.5 110.0Chungbuk 102.9 105.2 107.5 109.3 110.3Chungnam 103.8 107.1 108.7 110.5 113.0

Jeonbuk 103.0 105.8 108.0 100.7 113.4Jeonnam 103.9 106 107.8 109.9 111.1

Gyeongbuk 102.8 104.4 106.9 109.9 112.0Gyeongnam 100.6 101.5 102.5 104.4 105.6

Jeju 96.0 97.7 96.9 96.7 96.0total 98.3 99.2 99.6 100.7 101.2

Housing Supply RatioUnit : %

Source: MLTM

Before devel-opment

After devel-opment

Housing units under 60m2

63% 30%

Housing units under 500 million won

86% 30%

(Private) rental housing units for less than 40 million won

83% 0%

Average housing size 80m2 107m2

Average housing price 390 million won

540 million won

Before and After Urban Develop-ment

Source: S. Kim et al., 2009, Poverty in Korea, Hanwul

Disappearing slums in Seoul

1965 1971-1982 mid-1990s

Source: S. Kim, 2011, squatter settlement policies and the role of state, Housing Studies Review, 19(1)

Lack of affordable housing due to demol-ishing low-price (market) rental housing

Sub-standard housing conditions and lack of facilities and infrastructure in slums

Poor people left their own living places Social inequity led by where they live

Two Issues on Korean Slums

By the market sector - 1960s-1990s: redevelopment and recon-

struction projects with demolishment and eviction strategies

- 2000s: broader block-unit redevelopment, called New Town projects, multi-family hous-ing provision (since the 1990s)

By the public sector - residential environment improvement project - social housing provision

Spatial policies for housing provi-sion

Seou

l

Pusa

n

Daegu

Inch

on

Gwan

gju

Daege

on

Ulsan

Gyeon

ggi

Gwan

gwon

Chung

buk

Chung

nam

Jeon

buk

Jeon

nam

Gyeon

gbuk

Gyeon

gnam Je

ju

Aver

age

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

Spatial policies for improving housing conditions

Total Number of Housing under Minimum Housing Standard(2005)

Housing rate under Minimum Housing Standard (2005)

Spatial policies for improving housing conditions

Seou

l

Pusa

n

Daegu

Inch

on

Gwangj

u

Daege

on

Ulsan

Gyeon

ggi

Gwangw

on

Chung

buk

Chung

nam

Jeon

buk

Jeon

nam

Gyeon

gbuk

Gyeon

gnam Je

ju

Avera

ge0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

In SMA and large cities with high devel-opment pressure, poor people live in so-cial housing, loft or basement rooms in multi-family housing, rooms with non-residential purpose etc. throughout the cities

In small local cities with less pressure to develop, they live in the inner-city areas with vulnerable environment to natural disaster and crime

Where do poor people live?

Source: http://www.gjdream.com/v2/hot/view.html?uid=424814&news_type=102&code_M=2&news_code=201

Social Housing

Multi-family Housing in Bu-chon

Inner-city area in Jeonju

Inner-city area in Jeonju

More affordable housing for low income class in large cities and SMA

Prevention from environmental degrada-tion through the measures to implement minimum housing standards and for new urban management(regeneration)

Reducing extreme poverty and improv-ing social equity by socio-spatial policies

What do we need for social eq-uity in Korean context?