Boarding houses: Then and now

In the past, out-of-town university first-years looking for housing often turned to boarding houses called "hasukjib" run by women typically around the same age as their parents. These homeowners would prepare breakfast and dinner for boarders, creating a communal space for students to gather and eat together.

Before the school year began, boarding house owners would host special dinners to help students get to know each other. Over time, students would grow close and form bonds with the owner, often referring to her as "eomeoni," or mother in Korean. These boarding houses felt almost like family, with a sense of warmth and togetherness.

This was the boarding house scene until the end of the 1990s, much like its depiction in the popular tvN series "Reply."

Today’s boarding houses look vastly different.

"First of all, many boarding houses have closed in recent years, especially at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students today are more individualistic and value their privacy. Only a few still operate because students prefer shared flats or one-room studios," said a boarding house owner near Chung-Ang University in Seoul.

Shared flats, called "sharehouse" in Korean, offer a modern version of the boarding houses of the past, with individual rooms and shared bathrooms, along with shared community spaces for students who want to interact.

"I stopped operating as a boarding house and renovated it into a sharehouse for female students only. I no longer have to prepare meals and the students prefer it that way. They would rather eat privately in their own rooms," said the owner of a sharehouse near Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul.

These days, it's rare for students to eat together in boarding houses like they did in the past, as their schedules often differ. Meals have become more like buffets, available for a limited time.

"I rarely eat at my boarding house, but the owner prepares around five banchan (side dishes), a soup and a main dish. It's available for about an hour and a half for students to grab and eat," said Kim Su-min, 21, who moved to Seoul from Daejeon last year to attend Chung-Ang University.

"To be honest, I’ve never spoken with the other girls living in the same boarding house. I don’t even know their names," she added.

Boarding houses are seeing some recovery as rents rise. The high cost of housing is bringing students back to boarding houses, which do not require a deposit and cost approximately 400,000 won ($273) to 450,000 won a month, about 100,000 won less in monthly rent compared to a one-room studio. Boarding houses also come with meals at no extra charge.

"If you're looking for a decent, safe room, you need at least 30 million won for a deposit and 500,000 won in rent every month," said a licensed real estate agent near Seoul National University.

Real estate platform Dabang analyzed listings near 10 major universities in Seoul and found that the average monthly rent is 609,000 won, more than a 6 percent increase on-year.

Boarding houses, which seemed to be losing out to one-room studios, are once again becoming popular due to their cost-effectiveness, bringing back a sense of nostalgia to university areas.

"I have students calling asking for rooms, but we are fully booked for this semester. I think students and their parents like that boarding houses are affordable and offer homemade food," said the boarding house owner near Sookmyung Women's University.

"In light of soaring housing costs, even the MZ generation, who values privacy, is opting for boarding houses due to these practical issues," said professor Kim Yoon-tae of the Department of Social Welfare at Korea University.