Abstract
Vacant houses are increasing across the country, but the appropriate measures have not been set up yet. Accordingly, vacant houses are left unattended for a long time, and become deserted to degrade the residential environment. They are often used as the space for the deviation of youth or even for crimes, threatening the safety of rural society. Vacant houses are not only personal properties but also public assets that form the residential environment of a town. Therefore, the problem should be better taken care of with appropriate policies. In this study, the present situation of vacant houses in Korea, the causes of the vacant house and the limits and lessons of the improvement projects were reviewed, along with the vacant house improvement systems in the UK and Japan. The most significant difference between the cases in Korea and other countries are the method of vacant house improvement. In terms of policies and support, Korea focuses on demolition, whereas other countries focus on reuse. In addition, the vacant house improvement projects in Korea are performed mostly by government agencies, whereas local governments and private organizations in other countries cooperate to improve vacant houses and go beyond mere residential environment improvement towards the local revitalization. Based on the study results, the following are proposed to efficiently improve and use the rural vacant houses. First, the Rearrangement of Agricultural and Fishing Villages Act, which allows the vacant houses to be left unattended and not improved, should be revised. Second, the intermediate support organizations that connect the demand and supply should be fostered and supported so that the use of vacant houses can be vitalized and privately led. Third, the best practices of using the vacant houses should be found and promoted, and the vacant house remodeling technique should be developed and propagated. Fourth, a special law should be enacted to comprehensively plan, support and execute the vacant house improvement, as in Japan. Finally, the value of the vacant houses as public properties should be shared in public so that all citizens can participate in addressing the vacant house issue to derive the detailed plans to solve the problem.
