[BizHanKook] It has been confirmed that over 17,000 construction-based rental homes supplied by the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) over the past five years are smaller than 25㎡, the minimum residential area for a single person in Japan. This figure accounts for 16% of the total LH construction-based rental housing supply during the same period, meaning one in every six homes falls into this category. More than 90% of these small rental units were concentrated in "Happy Housing" (Haengbok Housing), which primarily targets young demographics such as university students, young adults, and newlyweds.
1 in 6 LH Rental Homes is Smaller Than 25㎡
According to data provided to Bizhankook by the office of Representative Yoon Jong-oh of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, 17,623 units (16%) out of the 108,587 construction-based rental homes built and supplied directly by LH from 2021 to the end of June this year had a dedicated area of less than 25㎡. This figure is based on the initial tenant recruitment notices for LH construction-based rental housing, including permanent rental, national rental, Happy Housing, and integrated public rental schemes.
Over the past five years, the majority of LH construction-based rental homes supplied—55,080 units (51%)—fell between 25㎡ and 40㎡. These were followed by units between 40㎡ and 55㎡ (25,440 units, 23%), 14㎡ to 25㎡ (17,623 units, 16%), and those over 55㎡ (10,444 units, 10%). No units below the minimum residential standard of 14㎡ were recorded. In essence, 72,703 units, or 67% of the total supply, are concentrated in the under-40㎡ category.
Units under 25㎡ are concentrated in Gyeonggi-do. Out of the 17,623 units nationwide, 8,860—nearly half—were supplied in Gyeonggi-do. Among the 49,897 LH construction-based rental homes supplied in Gyeonggi-do over the past five years, 18% were under 25㎡, which is higher than the national average of 16%. Other regions with a high supply of homes under 25㎡ include South Chungcheong Province (1,942 units, 16% of the regional supply), Seoul (882 units, 39%), Gangwon Province (867 units, 25%), and Ulsan (848 units, 25%).
Small rental units were heavily clustered in Happy Housing. Of the 17,623 LH rental units under 25㎡ supplied over the past five years, 16,113 units (91%) were Happy Housing units. Within the total of 64,728 Happy Housing units, the proportion of homes under 25㎡ was 25%, or one in every four homes. Happy Housing is a rental scheme that provides homes to university students, young adults, and newlyweds at below-market rates in locations with convenient transportation or proximity to workplaces.
In other types of rental housing, the proportion of units under 25㎡ was relatively lower. Among permanent rental homes, 1,044 out of 10,607 total units (10%) were under 25㎡; for national rental homes, it was 42 out of 30,128 units (0.1%); and for integrated public rental homes, it was 424 out of 3,124 units (14%). While the share of under-25㎡ units in permanent and integrated public rental housing was about half that of Happy Housing, almost all national rental homes were 25㎡ or larger.
Japan Uses 25㎡ While Korea Has Stayed at 14㎡ for 15 Years
The minimum residential area for a single-person household in South Korea is 14㎡. The standard, which was increased from 12㎡ in 2004 to 14㎡ in 2011, has remained the same for 15 years. The current minimum residential standard specifies minimum areas by household size—26㎡ for two-person households, 36㎡ for three-person, and 43㎡ for four-person—as well as the required number of rooms. Beyond residential area, it also mandates facility requirements, such as a private kitchen and a flush toilet/bathing facility, along with structural and environmental requirements including soundproofing, ventilation, and lighting.
In contrast, Japan’s minimum residential area for a single person is 25㎡. This standard, introduced in the 2006 Basic Plan for Housing, is 11㎡ larger than Korea’s. Although this specific benchmark was removed in the revised Basic Plan for Housing this March, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism issued a separate notification to local governments to continue referencing the existing standard in housing policy. Current public housing maintenance standards also explicitly maintain the principle of 25㎡ or larger per household.
Representative Yoon Jong-oh stated, "The current minimum residential standard is based on conditions from 15 years ago and is insufficient to meet today's housing needs. We must raise the standard to reflect changes in living environments," adding, "While the supply of small units is unavoidable in Seoul given housing costs and density, it is problematic that one in six rental homes built by LH is smaller than 25㎡, which is Japan’s minimum standard for a single person. We must consider not only the quantity of supply but also the quality."