An AI-generated image depicting a "bus house" parked at Central City Terminal in Seocho-gu, Seoul. [Captured from social media]
An AI-generated image depicting a "bus house" parked at Central City Terminal in Seocho-gu, Seoul. [Captured from social media]

Memes mocking a "bus house" proposal by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Hwang Hee — a plan to convert decommissioned buses into short-term youth housing — are spreading rapidly online, reflecting the frustration and anger of young Koreans in their 20s and 30s who find homeownership increasingly out of reach.

The bus house concept envisions repurposing retired buses as short-term residential spaces for young people near university campuses or transit hubs. Hwang said on his Facebook page last Thursday that the idea was inspired by the Netherlands' "boat house" model, in which decommissioned vessels are refurbished to address housing shortages. He said the conversion cost would run 50 million won ($35,200) per bus, and that 500 billion won could supply 10,000 units.

An AI-generated image depicting a bus house complex made up of decommissioned buses. [Captured from social media]
An AI-generated image depicting a bus house complex made up of decommissioned buses. [Captured from social media]

AI-generated videos and images riffing on the bus house idea have since gone viral across social media platforms and online communities Monday.

One widely shared image, titled "I live in Banpo~," shows a bus labeled "Bus House 01" parked at Central City Terminal in Seocho-gu, Seoul. The joke turns on the gap between claiming to live in Banpo-dong — one of Seoul's most exclusive neighborhoods — and actually residing in a decommissioned bus at an express bus terminal.

Another piece of content, headlined "Today's youth bus real estate listings," parodies some of Seoul's most expensive apartment complexes with mock listings: "Hannam The Wheel: asking price 20 million won," "Acro Rivers Park: asking price 15 million won," and "Banpotter Xi: asking price 15 million won" — spoofs of Hannam The Hill, Acro River Park and Banpo Xi, respectively. A mock disclaimer reads: "Inquiries for these premium properties have surged, causing asking prices to fluctuate in real time — serious buyers are advised to act fast."

Another image shows decommissioned buses stacked three stories high to form a complex, with a banner reading: "Youth Happy Housing — The First Moving Castle: The Rebirth of a Decommissioned Bus."

A mock video titled "Decommissioned Bus Youth Housing Virtual Vlog" features a fictional six-month resident who says, "In summer the inside of the bus becomes a sauna, and in winter it turns into a freezer." Pointing to mold on the window frame, the resident adds: "It really does feel like exactly 50 million won was spent per unit."

As the backlash mounted, Hwang deleted his original post and published a clarification Saturday, saying the bus house concept was "purely at the level of an idea." He said many young people live in poor conditions such as gosiwon — cramped study-room accommodations — and that the proposal was meant to explore ways to provide temporary housing "until they can secure a proper living space."

He added that the bus house was "simply meant to enrich the discussion of ideas" and made clear that "the government pursuing such a policy is not what this is about."

The Democratic Party also distanced itself from the proposal, saying in a statement that Hwang's Facebook post about the bus house and other short-term housing ideas "is entirely the lawmaker's personal opinion and has no relation whatsoever to the party's position."

Meanwhile, according to the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS), only 27.7 percent of Koreans aged 39 or under owned their home last year — the lowest rate since the current statistical framework was introduced in 2017.


jshan@heraldcorp.com