South Korea to see population plummet to 1970s levels, government says

Re:South Korea to see population plummet to 1970s levels, go... by bryanlarsen on Friday December 15, 2023 @04:06PM (#38658842)

Housing everywhere in Japan is basically free aside from the cost of renovation + the cost of the land. Houses are considered to be disposable there, you're expected to tear it down and build a new one when you buy one, so they are priced accordingly.

The difference is that land in Tokyo etc is expensive.

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Re:South Korea to see population plummet to 1970s levels, go... by huytersd on Friday December 15, 2023 @08:23PM (#38660899)

But why would you? It seems like most young people with no money could just stay for free.

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Re:South Korea to see population plummet to 1970s levels, go... by mitthrowaway2 on Friday December 15, 2023 @10:36PM (#38661485)

Old houses in rural areas often need a lot of care due to their age and condition. They may have sat empty for several years and suffered damage from a lack of maintenance.

Also if they're cheap postwar construction, they may not be very earthquake safe. If they're older traditional architecture, they're probably ok but still probably need a lot of TLC.

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Re:South Korea to see population plummet to 1970s levels, go... by chaostheory on Friday December 15, 2023 @09:27PM (#38661188)

Because it’s the (outdated) law due to earthquakes. Building and materials have gotten much better since the original laws were passed.

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Re:South Korea to see population plummet to 1970s levels, go... by huytersd on Saturday December 16, 2023 @03:26AM (#38662715)

Are you required by law to build a new house? What if the house was just built a year ago.

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