INCHEON, South Korea – Hundreds of newlyweds flocked to Incheon City Hall on March 6th, eager to apply for the city's innovative "Thousand-Won Housing" project, a public rental housing initiative aimed at combating low birth rates by providing ultra-affordable housing.

Long before the 10:00 AM application start time, the city hall lobby was packed with hopeful couples, many of whom had arrived in the early morning to secure a place in line. The crowd included expectant mothers and parents carrying infants, all drawn by the promise of drastically reduced housing costs.

"I arrived at Incheon City Hall at 6:00 AM and got number one," said Park Tae-jun (32), adding, "I came early because I expected a lot of applicants." Park, who recently registered his marriage, expressed hope that the program would significantly alleviate their housing expenses.

Hwang Hae-ryong (37), whose wife is due to give birth next week, said, "We're currently living in a 'Jeonse,' but we want to raise our child in a bigger and better environment. We also like that we don't have to worry about 'Jeonse' fraud and that the rent is low."

The "Thousand-Won Housing" project offers rental housing for just 1,000 won per day (30,000 won per month) to newlyweds within seven years of marriage, soon-to-be-married couples, and single-parent families. The current phase of the program, which began accepting applications on the 6th, will provide 500 units of "Purchased rental" housing owned by iH (Incheon Urban Corporation).

Priority is given to households with newborns, followed by those with children, and then couples without children. The application period runs until March 14th, with successful applicants to be announced on June 5th. Occupancy is expected to begin as early as late June.

Incheon City plans to supply an additional 500 units of "Jeonse rental" housing later this year. This type of housing allows newlyweds to select their desired property, with the city providing up to 80% of the 'Jeonse' deposit (up to 240 million won) and charging a monthly rent of 30,000 won.

The overwhelming response to the "Thousand-Won Housing" project underscores the growing financial burden faced by young couples and the urgent need for affordable housing solutions.

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