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A goshiwon sign. / Yonhap

The government pushed forward with a plan to allow bathtubs inside individual goshiwon rooms, but is now reconsidering it after facing a wave of criticism over concerns it could drive up deposits and rent while worsening living conditions.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on the 21st, "As various opinions were raised regarding the rule easing bathtub installation restrictions — through goshiwon residents, related associations, and media coverage during the administrative pre-announcement of the revised building standards for multi-unit living facilities — we will reconsider the provision."

Earlier, on the 12th, the ministry issued an administrative pre-announcement for a revised set of building standards easing regulations for multi-unit living facilities like goshiwon, with the pre-announcement period running through the 31st.

The revision included a provision allowing bathtub installation inside individual goshiwon rooms, which had been banned since 2015. It also proposed abolishing the requirement that each room be equipped with study facilities, such as a desk.

Current standards require goshiwon to provide study facilities and prohibit bathtub installation inside individual rooms. The ministry pursued the revision in consideration of the growing trend of goshiwon being used as housing for single-person households, aiming to reflect diverse operating formats and ease regulations not directly related to safety issues like fire risk. The revision also reflected regulatory improvement requests from small and medium-sized businesses.

However, opposition to allowing bathtub installation emerged repeatedly during the pre-announcement period. Critics raised concerns that installing bathtubs in cramped goshiwon rooms could cause mold and hygiene issues, and that the cost of facility improvements could be passed on to tenants through higher rent.

From the perspective of goshiwon residents, some argued that regulatory improvements should prioritize practical living conveniences, such as private cooking facilities, over bathtubs. The point being that under the current goshiwon operating model, where multiple residents share communal cooking facilities, it's difficult to secure even basic living conveniences for single-person households.

Some also criticized that installing bathtubs in such cramped spaces could worsen not just fire risk but other living environment issues, such as hygiene and ventilation.

Taking these views into account, the ministry decided to reexamine the rule easing bathtub installation restrictions. A ministry official said, "We will continue to reflect diverse opinions from all sectors of society throughout the policy process, implementing deregulation that the public can genuinely feel the benefit of."

Still, this reconsideration does not mean the ministry is withdrawing its broader push for deregulation related to goshiwon. The ministry is expected to review the building standards again in a way that accounts for the reality that goshiwon serve as housing for single-person households, while still reflecting a direction that actual residents can genuinely feel the benefit of.

                                                                                                                Kim Da-bin