PHOTOS: Last remaining shantytown in Seoul set for major redevelopment
By Park Jong-hyeokPosted : June 7, 2024, 18:03Updated : June 7, 2024, 21:13
SEOUL, June 7 (AJU PRESS) - In the shadows of Seoul's affluent Gangnam district sits Guryong Village, the last remaining shantytown in the Korean capital and a stark reminder of the economic inequalities that persist despite the city's wealth.
The makeshift slum settlement at the foot of Mt. Daemo was formed by displaced residents forced from their homes during redevelopment projects for the 1986 Asian Games and 1988 Olympics. While luxury apartments tower just across the street, Guryong Village's substandard living conditions have made it vulnerable to flooding and fires over the years.
But big changes are finally coming to the unauthorized village after the Seoul Metropolitan Government approved a revised redevelopment plan on May 29. The proposal calls for replacing the ramshackle homes with a modern apartment complex of up to 25 stories that will house 3,520 households.
Inside Guryong Village, Gangnam, Seoul, on June 7, 2024. The low height of the makeshift houses causes the power lines to hang down to nearly head level. The village, located in affluent Gangnam, is the last remaining slum in Seoul and is set to undergo redevelopment. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok
The interior of the shantytown is a maze of tight passageways, with most alleys so narrow that even a single person can barely pass through. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok
Used briquettes are stacked chest-high inside a vacant home. With redevelopment set for completion by next year, over half of the houses in the shantytown now stand empty. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok
A dense web of power lines crisscrosses the sky above the shantytown, a sight no longer found in any other part of affluent Gangnam. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok
Just across the street from the shantytown, high-end apartment complexes have been built through redevelopment. Guryong Village itself is set to become one of these upscale Gangnam residential areas. AJU PRESS Park Jong-hyeok