• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.611-628
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine influence of home energy cost on housing cost burden of Korean and U.S. monthly renter households in urban areas and to explore influences of household and housing characteristics on their home energy cost burden. Microdata for this research was extracted from the 2011 Korean Household Budget Survey and 2009 American Housing Survey. Monthly renter households in urban areas were initially grouped based on household income, followed by a detailed analysis of housing and home energy cost. Findings are as follows: (1) The maximum ratio of home energy cost to household house hold income in Korea was 49% compared to 83% in the US; (2) Energy cost to income ratio were found to have significant influences on housing cost burden and lower income households' housing cost burden was found more vulnerable to their energy cost; (3) In general, the energy cost burden of low-income renter households in Korea tended to be influenced by household size, the number of household members staying at home during daytime hours and housing unit size. The energy cost burden of low-income renter households in the U.S. tended to be influenced by home structure type, size and age, the householder's age, race, educational attainment, the household size, number of wage earners per household, income, and the number of household members between 7 and 17 years of age.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.17-37
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• 2023

The rental housing market in South Korea, specifically monthly rent with deposit, has been expanding over the last three decades (8.2% in 1990 to 21.0% in 2020), partly replacing the traditional Jeonse market. The distribution of rent has changed due to public rental subsidies and the emergence of luxury rental housing, while the distribution of rental household income has been polarized because of the emergence of rich renters. This study attempts to measure the structural changes in the rental market by developing a new indicator of income-rent mismatch. Using the seven series of the Korea Housing Survey, this study analyzed the changes in rent (reflecting the conversion rate) and income levels of rental households in 2006 (base year) and 10-15 years later (the analysis year) at the national level and at the spatial unit of 16 metropolitan cities and provinces (excluding Sejong), respectively, by dividing them into quartile data. The result reveals that rental housing was undersupplied in middle- and high-income rental housing due to the decline in the highest quartile (25%→18%) and the third quartile groups (25%→20%), while the supply of public rental housing expanded for the second quartile (25%→28%) and the lowest quartile (25%→35) groups. On the demand side, the highest income quartile shrank (25%→21%), while the lowest income quartile grew (25%→31%). Comparing the 16 metropolitan cities and provinces, there were significant regional differences in the direction and intensity of changes in rent and renter household income. In particular, the rental market in Seoul was characterized by supply polarization, which led to an imbalance in the income distribution of rental households. The structural changes in the apartment rental market were different from those in the non-apartment rental market. The findings of this study can be used as a basis for future regional rental housing markets. The findings can support securing affordable rental housing stock for each income quartile group on monthly rent and developing housing stability measures for a balance between income and rent distribution in each region.