Redefining Urban Shelter: Navigating the Evolution of Illegal Housing and Tenancy Rights in South Korea

Background: Illegal housing in South Korea persists amid rapid urbanization and economic transformation, creating insecure tenancy and substandard housing conditions. The mismatch between legal frameworks and on-the-ground realities generates a broad spectrum of residential vulnerabilities. Objective: The study aims to analyze the evolution of tenants’ rights and housing conditions within illegal housing, examine the interplay between law and lived practice, classify forms of illegality, and assess implications for tenancy security and housing adequacy. Methods: We conduct a comprehensive review of national legislation, municipal regulations, and relevant case law, alongside multiple case studies of squatter settlements and non-compliant building practices. The typology developed by the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless is applied to categorize housing situations and is complemented by international comparative examples. Findings: The legal landscape governing tenants in illegal housing is complex and fragmented. Protections for marginalized populations are incomplete and unevenly enforced, producing varied but generally high levels of vulnerability across tenure security and habitability. Policy intent and administrative practice often diverge, leaving persistent gaps in effective protection. Conclusions: Findings underscore the need for reforms that bridge the gap between housing policy and enforcement. The study advances the discourse on urban informality and offers insights to inform policy-making aimed at mitigating housing insecurity in South Korea and in comparable contexts globally.