Vice minister vows more 'Happy Dormitories' for students at Incheon university opening
In short
Kim Yi-tak (김이탁), First Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, attended the opening of the Happy Dormitory 'Rudia House' (루디아 하우스) at Kyungin Women's University in Incheon on 21 October. He said the ministry will keep expanding Happy Dormitories and will actively supply shared-type youth housing run through LH.
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Kim Yi-tak (김이탁), First Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, attended the opening ceremony of the Happy Dormitory 'Rudia House' at Kyungin Women's University in Gyeyang district, Incheon, on 21 October. Newsis said the ceremony took place in the afternoon. Kim said the ministry would steadily increase the number of Happy Dormitories. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Yonhap described the Happy Dormitory programme as support for university students who find commuting difficult. The Housing and Urban Fund lends money to the Korea Private School Promotion Foundation at 1.5% annual interest so that it can build dormitories. Yonhap, Newsis and Seoul Economic Daily reported that since 2012 the programme has supported 80 projects with 1.0614 trillion won and has provided housing for more than 50,000 university students. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Kim said he felt great reward that students can worry less about housing costs and concentrate on study and self-development. He added that, alongside more Happy Dormitories, the ministry plans to actively supply shared-type youth housing, in which Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) buys homes and re-leases them cheaply. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Asia Economy and Seoul Economic Daily reported that Kim referred to the Housing Stability Plan announced by the government last month, which he said commits to housing welfare tailored to life stages. After the official ceremony he looked over the dormitory facilities, and Asia Economy said he also checked the occupancy status and met students living there. He told them he hoped they would exchange with friends in a comfortable space while preparing intensely for the future. [ 3 , 4 ]
On 22 October at 10:00, Seoul Economic Daily published a further item under the headline that Kim would actively supply Happy Dormitories and LH shared-type youth housing. Only the headline was available. [ 5 ]
Why it matters
The remarks signal that the ministry intends to continue its student dormitory loan programme and add shared-type youth housing. The documents give no targets, budgets or dates for the expansion.
Key facts
- Kim Yi-tak (김이탁), First Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, attended the opening of the Happy Dormitory 'Rudia House' at Kyungin Women's University in Gyeyang district, Incheon, on 21 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Kim said the ministry will keep increasing Happy Dormitories. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- He also said LH will buy homes and re-lease them cheaply as shared-type youth housing, which the ministry plans to supply actively. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Under the Happy Dormitory programme, the Housing and Urban Fund lends to the Korea Private School Promotion Foundation at 1.5% annual interest to build dormitories. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Since 2012 the programme has supported 80 projects with 1.0614 trillion won and provided housing for more than 50,000 university students. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Kim Yi-tak attended the Rudia House opening at Kyungin Women's University in Incheon on 21 October and said Happy Dormitories will be steadily increased. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Kim said LH will buy homes and re-lease them cheaply as shared-type youth housing, and that the ministry plans to supply it actively. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Since 2012 the programme has funded 80 projects totalling 1.0614 trillion won and housed more than 50,000 students. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- How many new Happy Dormitories or shared-type youth housing units will be supplied, and by when. The documents give no numbers, targets or dates for the expansion.
- What the 'Housing Stability Plan' announced last month contains. Two outlets mention it only as a plan to provide housing welfare tailored to life stages; no details are given.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap published its report on Kim's attendance at the Rudia House opening on 21 October. [ 1 ]
- Newsis published its report. [ 2 ]
- Asia Economy published its report, adding that Kim toured the dormitory and met residents. [ 3 ]
- Seoul Economic Daily published its report. [ 4 ]
- Seoul Economic Daily published a further item on 22 October headlined on Kim's pledge to supply Happy Dormitories and LH shared-type youth housing. [ 5 ]