The interior of a goshiwon, a type of small single-room rental unit common in South Korea. [Yonhap]
The interior of a goshiwon, a type of small single-room rental unit common in South Korea. [Yonhap]

The government has decided to fully review a proposed revision to construction standards that would have removed the desk requirement in goshiwon individual rooms and allowed bathtub installations. The plan was intended to improve living conditions for single-person households, but the ministry stepped back after a wave of criticism — particularly from young people — who called it out-of-touch policymaking.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Friday it would "review the relevant provision on easing bathtub installation restrictions," citing a range of opinions raised during the public notice period by goshiwon users, related associations and media outlets.

The proposed revision would have allowed individual bathtubs in goshiwon — classified as multi-unit residential facilities — while scrapping the existing requirement that rooms be equipped with desks and other study furnishings.

Bathtub installations had long been strictly prohibited in goshiwon to prevent the facilities from operating as de facto independent residences. The ministry had pushed for the deregulation in response to rapidly shifting housing conditions, including rising jeonse and monthly rent prices and a growing number of single-person households, with the aim of making goshiwon a more viable alternative housing option in urban areas.

After the public notice was issued, strong pushback emerged from young people and current goshiwon residents. Online communities were flooded with criticism, with users asking, "What's the point of putting a bathtub in a tiny goshiwon room?" and "Are they trying to turn goshiwon into private saunas by removing the desks?" Many said the proposal failed to reflect reality.

As negative sentiment spread, the ministry ultimately decided to step back and revisit the relevant provisions.

A ministry official said the government would "actively gather diverse opinions from all sectors throughout the policy process and pursue deregulation in a direction that people can genuinely feel the benefits of."


hwshin@heraldcorp.com