Photos capture cramped life in South Korea's tiny housing cubicles

While we marvel at tiny houses on Netflix shows and complain about London renting, in South Korea thousands of low-income workers and students are living in cubicles so small only one person can fit inside at a time.

Goshitels – also known as Goshiwans – are tiny housing units than measure less than five square metres, packed into towering apartment blocks.

Typically the kitchens and bathrooms are shared with other residents, so those who live in Goshiwans have only small box rooms as their own space. Many of the rooms don’t even have windows.

The mini homes were originally designed as temporary accommodation for students but rising housing prices have pushed those on lower incomes to settle for tiny living spaces.

In Goshitels rent is cheap (some are around £100 a month), there’s no need for a deposit, and there are no maintenance fees.

The reality of fitting life into a tiny box has been captured by photographer Sim Kyu-doing, who began to document the phenomenon of Goshitels after living in various miniature units for five years at the start of his career in Seoul.

He wanted to capture the true existence of the people living in overwhelmingly cramped and claustrophobic conditions in one of Seoul’s forgotten provinces.

Pictures show residents cramming themselves into tiny beds, taking showers in sinks next to where they sleep, and cooking meals in tiny kitchen spaces by their belongings, piled high on the floor.

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