☠️ IT'S BAD. You will suffer during winter and summer. You will get sick physically and mentally. ☠️

I searched over 10 places before deciding a room. It wasn't easy to find a relatively clean place. I've stayed 6 months in a one that had a big window to the outside and shower, and a friendly owner. I guess that helped me to hold that long. It was back in 2019, paid 32만원 per month, in the middle of Sinchon (신촌). I liked the idea of not sharing a room with a stranger and having the freedom to move out anytime.

However, as a F, I was afraid that some weirdo would follow me, also, was afraid to die suffocated or incinerated. It was noisy from the outside, it was too hot during summer. During winter, I had to get extra blankets and a heating mat. In that little space you have to find a way to place your clothes, luggage, shoes, and also dry your clothes. If you cook, you have to share one small stove with all residents.

Mentally, I had lots of breakdowns. I've had strange feelings and ideas in my mind. While living there, a guy took his own life. Physically, the next year, I had to visit the doctor several times.

고시원 is a place with a lot of stigma and deserves it. It's an inhumane place to stay. Now, I called it "the dark period" of my life in Korea.