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Visit to Seoul, South Korea
Invited by the Korea National Housing Corporation and the Ministry of Construction and Transportation of the South Korean Government, the Chartered Institute of Housing Asian Pacific Branch and the Hong Kong Institute of Housing have visited Seoul from 7th to 10th September 2006. In the four day visit, there were genuine exchange between the Institutes and the counterparts on housing management in South Korea. It helps to enhance communications between professionals as well as to alleviate practice standards of the two places.
The delegation, altogether 17 members, left Hong Kong early in the morning of 7th September and when they arrived at the Incheon International Airport in South Korea, it was already two in the afternoon. Without slight delay, the delegates had to rush for the first visit to Woori Housing Operation and Management Company, one of the biggest property management companies in South Korea. Stuck on the heavy traffic in Seoul, the delegation could only arrive at five o’clock. Yet the belated arrival did not dissuade the hospitality the delegates received and the fruitful exchange that followed.
The presentation was hosted by Mr. Noh Byung Yong, CEO of Woori Housing Operation and Management Company, and unsurprisingly, in Korean. Yet, the considerate arrangement of hiring an interpreter, alongside the supplement by our tour guide in his brilliant Putonghua, the delegates felt no bearer at all in communication.
The delegates were told, in the presentation, that the private housing sector in South Korea has been developing rapidly. South Korea is also ahead of Hong Kong to have legislated for professional registration with their Housing Manager Association having already 20,000 members. Housing Practitioners in South Korea have to undergo a qualifying examination and accumulate five years of relevant experience before they can registered as a professional housing manager. For those who have yet to sit for the examination but who have 3 to 5 years of experience can hold the intern housing management position. The government also requires residential project having more than 500 units or 150 units but with lifts to hire at least one registered housing manager. Projects that are fewer than 500 units have to hire at least an intern housing manager. This would greatly enhance the professional status of housing managers. In addition to these, delegates also gained thorough information on other aspects of housing development in South Korea.
After the presentation, delegates were treated Chinese cuisine in a Chinese restaurant Ju Ying Lou by Woori company and professional bodies. After the rich dinner, delegates went back to their Ritz Carlton Hotel, not only with a full stomach, but also a mind packed with how housing management is being practiced in South Korea.
After breakfast on the following day, delegates paid visits to private developments, Dougbu Centreville, Daelim Acroville and Michelan Cherville, all developed and managed by Worri, Despite the plain architecture and facilities, there are some management approach in Korea the delegates found interesting and worth to learn from. For instance, besides having management service in every residential project, they also have their home owner organization as well as a housing manager. The three parties keep a frequent exchange through meetings and maintain a harmonious relationship. Professional housing managers, however, with the power vested by the building covenant and relevant housing laws, can terminate the management contract of housing management companies.
In the visits, delegates found that Seoul has better environmental protection practices than Hong Kong. The government requires every residential estate to have garbage collection station and every resident has to buy, from the municipality, dedicated garbage disposal bags. The landscape also has been left as what it was, without much artificial alternation, which serves as a deliberate effort for environmental education. The Koreans also treasure natural environment and space. For instance, water ponds were managed by natural ecological process and though appeared to untidy, it nevertheless conveys a sense of beauty amidst the chaos.
Likewise, in their management culture, Koreans have some creative ideas. For instance, complaints from residents are dubbed “happy calls” and the management office is named “Cultural Life Support Room”. Delegates were told that management of car park, to them, was a headache. All parking space was free and housing estates in South Korea has a provision of one carpark space to one household. It is thus not surprising that traffic jam was so serious in Seoul. In addition, high end private estates often have resident clubs which provide gymnasiums and spa and every household usually was given three membership passes for the club.
After the visit, because of the rush schedule, delegates had to have a quick self service lunch in a local restaurant. They then headed to Korea National Corporation. The Corporation had a grand office and similar to the Hong Kong Housing Authority, there was also an exhibition hall showing the historic development of Korean Housing. Mr. Bae of the Corporation introduced housing development of Korea to the delegates and a video, with translation dedicated for the delegate, on the future of public housing in Korea, was also presented. The delegates acquired a thorough coverage of the future development of public housing in South Korea. The public housing sector in Korea, whilst advancing rapidly, has also placed amply emphasis on community facilities as well as the need for its elderly tenants. The delegates were once again impressed by the high level of English educated young Koreans have from the quality interpretation the interpreter presented.
That evening the delegation had the pleasure to attend the dinner hosted by the Korea Housing Manager Association. Ms. Ju Young Mi, president of the Assocaition,, Dr. Kin Young Tae, Mr. Noh, CEO of Worri and a number of professors from universities of South Korea were among the guests in the dinner reception. The delegates were also well informed of the development of housing in Korea by a short presentation by Dr. Kim. The dinner reception was filled with rich atmosphere of academic exchange which drew the two days formal business of the delegation to a close. The way back to the hotel was over-flown with a sense of accomplishment.
The last two days of the trip were time for a break with the delegates joyfully hopping from one tourist spot to the next – the filming site of the popular soap opera “Dae Jang Geum” as well as popular shopping spots like Dongdaemun Market and Namdaemun Market. When the delegates visited the fish market, generous donations of the chairman and president had supplemented the dishes of the delegates with fresh scallops and big prawns and all delegates expressed their sense of gratitude. Delegates were also glad to have tasted the renowned authentic dish of ginseng in chicken soup though they felt a bit disappointed not having the chance to try another equally authentic dish of stone hot pot rice. Before the four day visit ended, delegates did performed the required action of tourists, shopping, until all their luggage were packed with their “war booty” on the way home.
Unfortunately, on the home bound flight, the delegate got a “big surprise”. When the plane was taxiing to its tae off position, passengers were told that the plane had to return to the departure bridge to unload a passenger who felt sick. When everybody was expecting the engine to start again for redeparture, the long pause made the passengers uneasy. The pilot finally announced a delay because of faulty engine. Food and drink were then served to dilute the impatient of the passengers. Yet ten minutes after another ten minutes and there was still no sign of a department after two hours. It was then announced that because the plane had to replace some damaged engine parts which would result in further delay. Entertainment then was brought forward to pacify the boring passengers. After a four hour delay, the pilot finally announced the fixing was completed and the plane would take off again. In fact, delegates should thank that sick passenger, otherwise, horrified scenes in the thriller film “Airport” (1970) may reemerge again (joking). At the end, the plane safely touched down in Hong Kong 3am in the morning and when the delegates went back to their warm and cozy home, it was 4am already.
— Reported by Dr Yip Ngai Ming
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