‘Live in Old Buses?’ Outrage Among 2030 Generation... Park Jiwon Says 'Not a Mere Incident, Just Apologize'

Sharp Criticism over Democratic Party's Dismissal as a “Happening”
Mockery Spreads Online as Memes Among Social Media Users
Hwang Hee: “I Feel Responsible for Causing Distress and Disappointment”

Park Jiwon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, directly criticized the party's response to fellow party member Hwang Hee's so-called “Bus House” controversy, which described the incident as a mere “happening.” Park argued that, since this issue touches upon the problem of youth housing, it should not be dismissed as a simple incident; instead, the mistake should be clearly acknowledged and an apology made.

On August 10, Park appeared on SBS radio’s “Kim Taehyun’s Political Show” and said of Hwang’s “Bus House” proposal, “By sharing an inappropriate example, he especially provoked young people and students,” adding, “He needs to immediately offer an apology.”

Park Jiwon, member of the Democratic Party, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at the National Assembly. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

He also sharply criticized the Democratic Party for explaining the controversy as merely a “happening.” Park stated, “Why would you call that a happening? It was a mistake,” emphasizing, “If you apologize and the floor leader warns Hwang Hee to be more careful, then the 2030 generation – and the public more broadly – would understand.” He then questioned, “Will you simply stay silent and let it pass as a happening?”

The controversy erupted when, on August 7, Hwang Hee posted on his social media a message titled “Bus House Proposal.” He suggested remodeling old buses, scheduled for scrapping, into residential spaces to provide temporary accommodation for youth in university areas. He cited the example of houseboats in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and claimed that converting discarded buses could provide temporary housing relatively quickly.

Representative Hwang at the time estimated that if the remodeling cost is assumed to be about 50 million won per bus, approximately 500 billion won would be needed to create 10,000 units. He also proposed ideas such as utilizing spaces around university areas or subway stations, and creating mobile or trailer-type housing facilities depending on the remodeling method. SNS

Hwang estimated at the time that, assuming 50 million KRW in remodeling costs per bus, it would require about 500 billion KRW to create 10,000 units. He also floated the idea of utilizing spaces around universities or subway stations and, depending on the renovation method, creating mobile or trailer-type housing facilities. However, as the proposal spread online, criticism mounted that the idea was out of touch with the real difficulties faced by young people searching for proper housing.

Many pointed out that suggesting scrapped buses as housing, rather than providing substantive solutions amid high housing prices and rent burdens, belittled the difficulties of young people. Social media users responded with posts saying, “Why not try living in one yourself?” and flooded the internet with memes mocking the Bus House idea. After the controversy grew, Hwang deleted his post and explained it had been “simply an idea,” but the criticism persisted.

The controversy soon spread as an internet meme. Online, “virtual apartments” appeared that combined the names of luxury apartments in Seoul with words evoking buses or other modes of transportation. Examples included “Hannam the Wheel” (a parody of “Hannam the Hill”), “Acro Rivers Park” (a take on “Acro River Park”), and “Banporter Xi” (a play on “Banpo Xi”). Images of the “The First Moving Castle” bus house also circulated widely.

The controversy soon spread as an internet meme. Online, so-called "virtual apartments" appeared, combining the names of luxury apartments in Seoul with words reminiscent of buses or modes of transportation. SNS

Dissatisfaction over youth housing problems has now moved beyond the proposal itself to raise questions about the political elite’s sensitivity to youth issues. The Democratic Party leadership tried to address the situation. Han Jeongae, the Democratic Party’s policy committee chair, stated during a press meeting at the National Assembly on August 9 that Hwang’s proposal was “virtually impossible and unfeasible,” and called it a “happening.” At the same time, she also expressed regret and apologized for causing distress to young people in this process. However, Park Jiwon raised concerns that this response from the party could further provoke backlash among young people, arguing that a public apology and warning were necessary.

Ultimately, Hwang Hee bowed his head and apologized directly. On August 10, he wrote on social media, “I sincerely apologize to the younger generation and the public for the Bus House proposal.” He explained the idea was an attempt to compensate for the time required for government-led housing supply and to ease the temporary housing burden on low-income youth.

Hwang Hee, member of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

He went on to admit, “I failed to fully understand the gravity of the housing challenges young people face onsite,” expressing a sense of responsibility for causing distress and disappointment by not sufficiently considering the perspectives of young people as the ones directly affected. Hwang added he would listen more attentively to realistic voices from youth and work to develop practical housing alternatives in the future. He had initially planned to hold a press conference that afternoon to explain his stance on the Bus House controversy and suggest housing policy alternatives, but later canceled the event.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.