Seoul, South Korea – The South Korean government is set to further relax regulations on officetels, allowing for more residential use. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport announced on November 25th that it will revise the construction standards for officetels to permit floor heating in units exceeding 120 square meters.
This latest amendment marks the complete removal of restrictions aimed at preventing officetels from being primarily used as residential spaces. Previously, floor heating was only allowed in officetels smaller than 120 square meters. This gradual relaxation of regulations began in 2006 when floor heating was permitted in units under 59 square meters, followed by a relaxation to 85 square meters in 2009 and 120 square meters in 2021.
The decision to remove the final restriction on floor heating comes amid changing social and economic conditions, including the rise of single-person households and remote work. The government aims to increase the supply of housing near workplaces.
"Given the changing social and economic landscape, including the increase in single-person households and remote work, we have decided to take measures to revitalize the officetel market by increasing the supply of housing near workplaces," said a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport official.
In addition to the removal of the floor heating restriction, the government is also simplifying the process for converting residential hotels into officetels. Under the new regulations, owners of residential hotels will not be required to install separate entrances for officetel units when converting their properties. Moreover, the calculation method for the exclusive area of converted units will remain the same as for residential hotels.
However, these exemptions will be clearly stated in the building register to ensure transparency in real estate transactions. The revised construction standards will be open for public comment until December 26th.
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