Report "Yes, a Place Like This Exists in Suwon"…Same Suwon, Different Winter

To the right of Suwon Hwaseong, stretching from the Jidong Market Sundae Town to Changnyongmun Gate, lies Jidong.

On one side, a new apartment complex with 1,154 units has been built, and on another side, the newly opened Paldal Police Station displays its grandeur.

In between, the old face of Jidong remains. Tilted, cracked, and eroded.

Winter will arrive on the same day for all, but the cold that must be endured will clearly be different.

On December 4th, in the residential area of Jidong within the Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Heritage Protection Zone.

Along the narrow alley, dilapidated houses clustered closely together. Narrow gaps stretched between buildings, and cracks covered the walls. It looked like wrinkles left by time on the neighborhood.

Lee Seung-in, chairperson of the residents' emergency countermeasure committee (55), who guided the scene, pointed out the condition of the houses one by one.

Rusty reinforcing bars were exposed where concrete from the outer wall had fallen off. Near traces of repairs to cracked walls, new fractures stretched out. One house had its support structure tilted to one side.

Inside the homes, conditions were no different. Ceiling finishing materials had fallen away due to water leaks, and internal materials were exposed in some places. Metal support beams propping up ceilings made the condition of the homes appear precarious.

Vinyl and tarps were draped over roofs and secured with bricks and stones. It was evidence of patchwork repairs—covering when it rained and patching when it cracked.

Even this has reached its limit, according to residents. Some residents who fear their homes might collapse have left their existing houses and are living in farm sheds.

While determining actual collapse risk requires administrative procedures such as safety inspections, residents' hearts have long since crumbled amid an indefinite wait.

Most residents are elderly people in their 60s and older. Some houses do not even have city gas supply. There were houses with LPG containers, and many households relied on briquettes or oil boilers without city gas connections.

Yet they cannot spend money to properly repair their homes. These are ultimately destined for demolition.

On January 20, 2021, the area was additionally designated as a Cultural Heritage Protection Zone. Suwon City plans to purchase and demolish 299 parcels of land and buildings covering 26,915 square meters in the Jidong and Namsudong areas, then restore the original topography around Suwon Hwaseong.

However, as of this year, the sixth year since the designation, only 56 of 228 privately-owned parcels in Jidong have been purchased, accounting for just 24.6%.

Since the timing of compensation is uncertain, residents cannot repair their homes or sell and leave. According to the emergency committee, actual transactions are nearly impossible as it is difficult to find buyers for homes destined for future acquisition.

The emergency committee has requested assistance from Kim Young-jin, their congressional representative (Democratic Party, Suwon District), and several Suwon City Council members, but they say nothing has changed.

While residents live day to day in fear of collapse, their cries to Suwon City are met only with echoes of the answer: "We will provide compensation sequentially."

It is unclear when the waiting will end.

The project completion date tentatively set by Suwon City is 2045. The original project period was until 2030, but an additional 19 years will be needed for various reasons.

Even that is difficult to guarantee.

There are reportedly 137 parcels on which compensation has yet to begin. Suwon City estimates that over 90 houses are located there, with more than 200 residents.

Meanwhile, the budget allocated for land acquisition next year is only 1 billion won, combining national and local funds. An official from Suwon City explained that this money could purchase at most 3 parcels.

By simple calculation, purchasing 137 parcels at 3 parcels per year would take approximately 46 years to complete compensation. While the timeline could change depending on future budget allocations, at current levels, even the 2045 completion date is uncertain.

A resident who is 70 years old this year would be close to 90 by 2045. In 46 years, that would be 116.

Suwon City also acknowledges the difficulties.

An official from Suwon City explained that it is difficult to proceed with compensation at current budget levels due to the dense concentration of houses in the Jidong area, and that concerns about deteriorated housing must be weighed against the issue of many residents having to leave their homes simultaneously if compensation is expedited. The city also maintains that maintenance and repair of buildings are principally the responsibility of owners until compensation procedures commence.

However, residents have few options. If they spend money to repair properly, they do not know when demolition will occur, and if they continue living as things are, they are anxious about how long the house will hold up.

Lee Seung-in, chairperson of the emergency committee (55), said, "There are residents anxious about when their homes might collapse, but Suwon City only says it will provide compensation sequentially. Homes already scheduled for demolition cannot be repaired and lived in, nor can they be sold and abandoned—so how long will the city ask residents to wait?"

Not far away, a new apartment complex with 1,154 units prepares for its first winter. At the Paldal Police Station, winter will pass while adjusting the temperature of the heater inside thick walls.

In between, residents prepare for yet another winter, patching holes in vinyl with more vinyl to block the cold that will soon arrive.

Same Suwon, different winter.