Multi­family housing accounted for 10.1% of total housing in South Korea(hereafter ‘Korea’) in 1980, which increased by about seven to eight times to 75.0% in 2017 over the last four decades. Very few countries have seen this kind of explosive growth in the number of households residing in multi­family housing within such a short period of time. In other words, Korea has experienced a rapid increase in multi­family housing in line with its economic growth­the so­called Miracle on the Han River­hence its nickname the “Republic of Apartments.”
Multi­family housing has become established as a common type of residential housing in Korea. The course of this establishment was marked by a continuous series of wide­ranging issues regarding multi­family housing complexes, and as part of efforts to solve and prevent such issues, multi­family housing management systems were also developed on an ongoing basis. As a result, research findings indicate that residents of multi­family housing are more satisfied with their residence, relative to their counterparts living in detached housing.
Korea has placed efforts into continuously developing its multi­family housing management systems in three aspects. First, new laws were established to resolve problems with multi­family housing management, and amendments were made to existing laws in a bid to reflect reality. Second, the Korean government solidified its multi­housing management framework by introducing a housing manager qualification system, under which nationally­recognized experts are permitted to manage multi­family housing.
Lastly, the government provided systematic education programs for occupants residing in multi­family housing, councils of occupants’ representatives organized to decide important matters, and housing managers and housing management workers in charge of multi­family housing management. All these efforts led to creating an environment where multi­family housing is managed in a safe and efficient manner despite its rapid growth.
This book was published with an aim to introduce how multi­family housing management systems have developed in Korean society. Topics such as the development of New Towns, large­scale development projects of multi­family housing complexes, and redevelopment projects in Korea had already been introduced in Southeast Asia and other regions around the globe. However, this book appears to be the first that systemically addresses how to manage multi­family housing supplied in large quantities.
To this end, a group of authors including those working in relation to multi­family housing management and academics participated in the writing of this book. These authors include working­level experts of the Korea Housing Managers Association, a statutory body of housing managers, and research experts of the Korea Research Institute of Housing Management, which is responsible for conducting research on multi­family housing management on an ongoing basis. They focused on the background behind the increase in multi­family housing; the significance of multi­family housing management; multi­family housing management systems; the qualification system and expertise of housing mangers; management expenses, reserves for long­term repairs, and tasks of multi­family housing management systems; ways to vitalize communities; and the development directions of multi­family housing management.
It would be difficult to explain residential life and community culture in Korea without discussing multi­family housing. Rather than simply supplying multi­family housing, Korea in 2019 places various efforts across a diverse range of fields into managing the supplied multi­family housing and further creating a new residential community culture. We hope that readers around the world will garner an understanding of multi­family housing in Korea, multi­family housing management systems and Korean’s living and community culture, and utilize this book as a useful material in developing housing policies.

Ha Seong-Kyu

Seong­Kyu Ha is an Emeritus Professor of Urban Planning and Real Estate at Chung­Ang University, South Korea. He also serves as the president of the Korea Research Institute of Housing Management. He received his Ph.D. in Urban Planning from University College London and an MSc from the London School of Economics. His current research interests have centered on low­income housing policies, urban residential regeneration and housing management. He has authored numerous publications on housing policy and urban and community regeneration, including Housing Policy, Wellbeing and Social Development in Asia (with Rebecca L. H. Chiu, Routledge, 2018). Recently, he was elected Chairman of the Korea Housing Service Society, a housing expert consulting and research group in Korea. He is on the Board of Directors of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation.