Kim Kon and Blaž published an article in The Developing Economies journal on the changing scope of gentrification in Seoul that compares neighbourhood transformation and displacement in traditional industrial clusters in the city.

After endless reviewing, revising and waiting, the article Changing scope of gentrification in Seoul? Neighbourhood transformation and displacement in Sangwangsimni and Changsin-Sungin traditional industrial clusters is finally online. It compares neighbourhood transformation and displacement in traditional industrial clusters in the city. Case studies are their usual suspects. Both had discussed the urban redevelopment of Sangwangsimni and the urban regeneration of Changsin-Sungin several times in the past.

The article argues that gentrification and displacement used to be an integral part of neighbourhood transformation in Seoul, contributing to its economic and urban growth. While direct displacement has recently declined, new forms of displacement are emerging. In Sangwangsimni, property-led urban redevelopment contributed to the direct displacement of residents. In contrast, Changsin-Sungin residents were able to remain in place because of the state-led urban regeneration. However, the latter resulted in feelings of powerlessness, emotional distress, and alienation among residents, which increased displacement pressure and contributed to their indirect displacement.

We argue that the consequences of neighbourhood transformation for displacement reveal not only the changing scope of gentrification in Seoul, but also the enduring role of the state in facilitating capital accumulation through the transformation of the city and its neighbourhoods.

The same topic has also been covered on this blog in Neighbourhood improvement and displacement in Seoul.

Kon, by the way, works at a Chinese university, while Blaž used to work at a university in Korea. Their research on Korean cases has been published in a journal of the Institute of Developing Economies in Japan. It’s all about the practice of East Asian studies. 😬