A ''hasukjib'' (; lit. "boarding house") is a type of housing in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

that is commonly used by working adults but more popular among university students. Typically, ''hasukjib'' take the form of a small room with a single bed, desk and a mini fridge. There are several rooms on each floor of the building and usually has a restroom, shower and laundry room shared by the tenants. Meals (specifically breakfast and dinner) are also often provided by the

landlord A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, land, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant (also a ''lessee'' or ''renter''). When a juristic person is in this position, the ...

or more commonly a landlady and included in the rent. The rent varies by the size of the rooms and quality of the facilities, but it's generally considered cheap and affordable. ''Hasukjib'' are often compared to '' gosiwon'' (; also called ''goshitel'' ), a similar form of single-room housing in Korea.

Conditions

''Hasukjib'' are usually offered with a bed, desk, mini fridge and sometimes a television. Facilities such as bathrooms, kitchen, laundry rooms and living rooms are often shared by the tenants, however some ''hasukjib'' have their own private bathroom. The rent of ''hasukjib'' are determined by the quality of the room, the size, its facilities and whether or not the room is shared. Breakfast and dinner are often included in the rent and served by the owner. Most ''hasukjib'' separate male and female tenants by floor with each floor having its own facilities such as bathrooms and laundry rooms, but some ''hasukjib'' are for women only. ''Hasukjib'' are similar to ''goshiwon'' () which is another type of housing in South Korea that they are often compared to. While ''goshiwon'' are cheaper, ''hasukjib'' are larger in size and offer meals, while typically ''goshiwon'' do not.

Location and size

Rooms range from being 6.6 m² or less to as large as 13.2 m², and rent varies by size. Because it typically targets students, they are often found around university areas.

Issues

In 2001, Kim Hoo-ran of ''

Korea JoongAng Daily ''Korea JoongAng Daily'' is the English edition of the South Korean national daily newspaper ''JoongAng Ilbo''. The newspaper was first published on October 17, 2000, originally named as ''JoongAng Ilbo English Edition''. It mainly carries news a ...

'' wrote an article about foreign students living in South Korea where Gu Yeon-hee, the deputy director of the international cooperation division at the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development stated that students typically resort to ''hasukjib'' because of the shortage of dormitory space, but students "report having difficulty adjusting to problems such as a lack of privacy". Lee Seok-jae, a director at the National Institute for International Education Development, also stated that one of the other complaints is "the difficulty finding ''hasukjib'' that will accept foreigners".

References

{{reflist Apartment types House types South Korean culture