When most people picture student life abroad, they imagine cramped but livable dorms or small shared apartments. For Lydia Rouka, a 27-year-old content creator from Germany, “cramped” takes on an entirely different meaning. She has been calling Seoul, South Korea home for over two years, and her living space clocks in at just 70 square feet with a monthly rent of around $325. What might sound impossibly tight has become the subject of a viral TikTok video that racked up 1.4 million views.
Lydia’s home is a type of micro-unit known in South Korea as a “goshiwon,” which is essentially a single room designed to pack in the bare essentials. Inside, there is a bed, a small desk with a chair, and a compact refrigerator. Because there is no room for a wardrobe, her clothes hang directly from the bed frame, and free floor space is nearly nonexistent. There is no private kitchen either, so Lydia relies on a shared kitchen and laundry room used by other tenants on her floor.
The bathroom, which she affectionately dubbed her “glass box,” is perhaps the most eye-catching feature of the whole setup. The toilet, shower, and sink are all essentially merged into one tight unit. “Every time I go to shower, I have to take out everything I don’t want to get wet or that can’t get wet, like toilet paper and towels,” she explained in her video posted under the TikTok handle @lydyagami. “I also take out my clothes, and when I’m done, I put everything back and that’s that,” she added.
@lydyagami HI GUYS PLS GO WATCH MY Q&A I CANT KEPP UP WITH THE COMMENTS!! welcome to my tiny room 🌸 #goshiwon #househuntingkorea #apartmenthuntingseoul #seoulapartment #RoomTour #goshiwontour #livinginkorea #exchangestudentlife #koreadorm #ewhawomansuniversity #internationalstudent #studyinginkorea ♬ just for me otis x pinkpantheress – OtisMadeIt
Despite the obvious spatial challenges, Lydia takes it all in stride with a sense of humor. Filming herself in the room, she quipped, “When the devil couldn’t find another way to house me, he put me in a 70-square-foot apartment.” She has said that the minimalist lifestyle actually suits her, even as followers from around the world reacted with a mix of horror and curiosity.
The comment section of her video was flooded with reactions from people who could hardly believe what they were seeing. “Girl, I hope your rent is cheap,” wrote one viewer, and when Lydia revealed the monthly cost in the comments, another responded, “For that price I get several spacious rooms.” Others were far more dramatic in their disbelief, with comments like “I’m suffocating just watching” and “Girl, this isn’t an apartment, this is a closet!” pouring in. Not everyone was horrified though. One user wrote, “This is better than having a roommate,” and Lydia agreed wholeheartedly, replying “100 percent.”
Goshiwon units have a long history in South Korea, originally developed as affordable housing for students preparing for national exams. They became a staple of urban Korean life as housing costs in major cities like Seoul soared, offering single occupants a private locked room at a fraction of the cost of a standard apartment or shared housing. Seoul is consistently ranked among the most expensive cities in Asia for real estate, with average monthly rents for standard one-bedroom apartments often exceeding $1,000. A goshiwon, by comparison, typically rents for anywhere between $200 and $500 per month depending on size and location, making them attractive to students, young workers, and budget travelers. While the units vary in quality, most follow the same basic formula of a small sleeping and study area with communal facilities shared among residents of the same floor or building. The concept has gained international attention in recent years as housing affordability becomes a global concern, and social media has played a big role in giving outsiders a firsthand look at just how small “small” can really get.
If you have thoughts on micro-living, goshiwon culture, or whether you could survive in 70 square feet, share them in the comments.
