2026 Theses Master's

Beyond Shelter: The Role of Korean Apartment Complexes in Middle-Class Identity and Social Stratification in Seoul

Kim, Sarah Da Yei

In South Korea, apartments signify more than just a housing type or shelter. Since their introduction during the post-war period, apartment complexes have been promoted as a modern and efficient housing solution in response to rapid urbanization and economic growth. Over time, however, apartments evolved from a form of urban housing into a dominant symbol of middle-class life, shaping both housing preference and the broader housing landscape. As of 2023, apartments account for approximately 65% of all housing units in South Korea, with nearly 88% of new housing construction permits issued for apartment developments, indicating a high level of housing homogenization.

This study argues that the dominance of apartments cannot be explained solely by market logic such as supply and demand. Rather, it is the outcome of a long-term socio-spatial process in which state-led development, housing financialization, and symbolic meanings converge to position apartments as a central mechanism of social stratification. In this process, housing has come to function not only as a material asset but also as a key indicator of class identity and social status.

Building on this, the study introduces the concept of housing-based stigmatization to examine how social hierarchy is reproduced through housing types. Terms such as “villa beggars (빌라거지)” illustrate how non-apartment housing is associated with lower status, revealing a shift from place-based stigmatization toward housing-type-based stigmatization. Through a mixed-method approach combining historical analysis, housing market data, media discourse, and interviews with residents in Seoul, the study traces how economic inequalities are translated into symbolic hierarchies and everyday discrimination.

By connecting the historical development of apartment complexes with contemporary forms of housing-based stigma, this research demonstrates that apartment-centered development in South Korea operates as a socio-spatial mechanism of class reproduction. Ultimately, it challenges the taken-for-granted assumption that apartment dominance is inevitable and calls for a critical rethinking of housing inequality, as well as alternative approaches to promoting social cohesion.