Photos capture cramped life in South Korea’s tiny housing cubicles, Goshitels

SAM December 04, 2019

South Korean photographer shows how the poor live in Goshitels. One South Korean photographer has captured the dilapidated living conditions of South Korea???s Goshitels, where thousands of low-income workers and students live in tiny cubicles to save on rent. The capital of South Korea, Seoul, is known for its high-rise city living ??? but not far from it lies a town where the country???s poor inhabitate. ???Goshiwon??? or ???Goshitel??? are tiny housing units that measure less than five square metres and are so crammed that only one person could possibly fit in at each time. They were originally used as cheap, temporary housing for students studying for important state and bar exams. But now, rising housing prices in Seoul have forced the poor workers to succumb to miniscule living conditions in order to survive. South Korean photographer Sim Kyu-dong spent around 5 years living in various Goshitels when he first began his career and made his big move Gangneung in Gangwon Province to Seoul. Sim wanted to capture the plight of those living in the tiny conditions and reveal the struggles people face in one of Seoul???s forgotten provinces. One picture shows a man crammed in a tiny bed barely fitting his entire body while he fiddles with the remote control to watch television from a tiny screen. Another photo shows a man dancing in a dimly lit staircase without a shirt on, as the light casts shadows across his chest revealing his rib cage popping out. One man can be seen smiling as he plays the guitar, appearing to pass time or trying to forget about the depressing living situation he has to endure. A black and white image reveals a man taking a shower on the floor in a crammed bathroom with barely any room to move. The bathroom doesn???t even have a separate shower, but instead shower but instead contains a hose connected to the sink in a tiny space. Other pictures show how the men combine their small living space into a mini kitchenette, preparing their food right next to their beds as their belongings are sprawled across the floor. The men have barely enough space to manoeuvre around as the rooms do not contain storage, leaving them with little choice but to stack their items on top of one another, making complete use of the little room they have. Three men are seen preparing food in a makeshift kitchen containing just one small fan for ventilation and two tiny hobs, enough to make a meal for one. Because of the lack of space, some are left having to use their bed as desks, as one man is pictured completing some paper work while sitting cross legged opposite his bed. Another can be seen drawing a portrait while seated on his bed, with stacks of books and literature sprawled beside him. Some residents have even come up with unique ways to store their items due to the lack of space. One invented a trick to stack up his ironed shirts on top of one another with hooks to maximise the use of space. Some Goshiwals even have a roof where residents hang out and also leave their clothes to dry along washing lines. It is also where they store extra belongings including sofas, blankets, and any other items they are unable to keep in their rooms, leaving them susceptible to wear and tear from the rain or unfavourable weather conditions. ENDS — Photos document life in Goshitels and Goshiwon, the tiny housing cubicles people are forced to live in due to rising costs of housing (Picture: Simkyudong/ Jam Press)

While we marvel at tiny houses on Netflix shows and complain about London renting, in South Korea thousands of low-income workers and students are living in cubicles so small only one person can fit inside at a time.

Goshitels – also known as Goshiwans – are tiny housing units than measure less than five square metres, packed into towering apartment blocks.

Typically the kitchens and bathrooms are shared with other residents, so those who live in Goshiwans have only small box rooms as their own space. Many of the rooms don’t even have windows.

The mini homes were originally designed as temporary accommodation for students but rising housing prices have pushed those on lower incomes to settle for tiny living spaces.

In Goshitels rent is cheap (some are around £100 a month), there’s no need for a deposit, and there are no maintenance fees.

The reality of fitting life into a tiny box has been captured by photographer Sim Kyu-doing, who began to document the phenomenon of Goshitels after living in various miniature units for five years at the start of his career in Seoul.

He wanted to capture the true existence of the people living in overwhelmingly cramped and claustrophobic conditions in one of Seoul’s forgotten provinces.

Pictures show residents cramming themselves into tiny beds, taking showers in sinks next to where they sleep, and cooking meals in tiny kitchen spaces by their belongings, piled high on the floor.