Korea is a magnific country. You will come up with 1000s of beautiful photos if you search on the internet. Culture, people, food, buildings are amazing in this country. Not to mention their technology. Korea is in top of the list when technology is considered. But, everything has 2 sides. So does Korea. Sim Kyu Dong is a photographer in Korea that showed the world this dark side. To be exact it’s ” Goshiwon”.
Goshiwon is a housing complex in Korea. It’s not just an ordinary set of apartments. These are rooms, tiny and small. Measuring up about 43 sq.ft. in area. You might have already guessed, This is where poor people will. People with mental/physical disabilities, people who don’t have enough money to afford proper accommodation, all end up here. Goshiwon could look like trash to an outsider, but, honestly, for people living in here, it gives assurance for a place to crash on.
Sim Kyu Dong, the photographer who captured this side of his country explained about this in an interview. He gave out how, who and why people go and live here. Apparently, This complex does not only give a roof for poor people, students who are studying for many exams also come and live here.
Because the rooms are tiny it only gives enough space for one to sleep and study. And when renting out one of these rooms, they don’t charge any advance fees other than the monthly payment. Seoul, the capital of Korea is so costly. So when people don’t have money to buy/rent a proper place, they stay here until they are stable enough to move on.
Goshiwon offers people a table, a closet and a bed in each room but, bathrooms and toilets are shared with others. One other advantage in living here is, you get used to a simple living pattern.
Price of a room differs according to the facilities they offer. A simple/plain room costs around $200 a month while a room with a bathroom attached or a window will cost a little higher. 
Photo Credits: © simkyudong / Instagram
