Most of the victims lived in “banjiha”, the basements where the movie “Parasite” takes place. For 5% of the population, this type of housing is the only affordable one. The local administration promises an eviction plan, but does not clarify where the more than 200,000 families who now live there will be relocated.
Seoul () – Last week, the most intense rains in the last hundred years occurred in the South Korean capital and its surroundings. Between Monday and Wednesday, according to the national weather agency, 525mm of precipitation fell on Seoul. In just a few hours, the rainfall It far exceeded the marks that are normally recorded in a month. The search for the disappeared continues, but the exceptional wave of rains that hit the capital has already left eight confirmed dead and four died in the infamous cellars. Trapped in their houses by the roar of the water, the victims drowned before anyone could help them.
Basement apartments (called “banjiha” in Korean) are the daily reality for many South Koreans from lower social classes, like those featured in the famous movie “Parasite.” Being low-cost housing, they are an affordable solution in a city where real estate prices are prohibitive for many. About 62% of banjiha South Koreans are concentrated in the capital: according to data from the South Korean Statistical Office, 200,849 families live in this type of apartment – around 5% of the population of Seoul.
After last week’s torrential rains and drowning deaths, criticism multiplies of civil society against banjiha. “We condemn the neglect of the government in relation to the marginalized who suffered this tragedy: as the rains become heavier and more frequent due to the impact of climate change, fundamental changes are needed in the way we address the issue of the inhabitants who live in these basements,” said Citizens Coalitions for Economic Justice. The group of activists asks the government to help the inhabitants who live in banjiha to move to safer housing solutions. In addition, it defends the need to expand the supply of social housing.
As a result of pressure, the administration of the capital announced measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Mayor Oh Se-hoon said that no more building projects involving the construction of banjiha. To do this, the city of Seoul will pressure the government to review the building regulations that allow the construction of basements. Meanwhile, the city administration has promised to help relocate the current residents and move them to other housing within 10 to 20 years.
However, the plan generates quite a bit of skepticism. Many consider this to be a mere statement to avoid accusations of inertia and muddle through. “What do you expect people to do? We live here because it’s cheaper,” he told the Korean Herald Sohn Mal-nyeon, a 70-year-old woman who lives in a banjiha not far from where one of the four victims drowned. How to blame her, if beyond the announcement, the Seoul government has not given details on how the relocation of residents should work. Where should they go? What compensation will they be awarded? How will the plan be put into practice? A regulation against banjiha was passed 10 years ago, but obviously the problem is still unresolved.
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