working for a living

This shot was something of a target of opportunity:

I liked the interplay of light and shadow, so I risked snapping a sunward-facing shot of the construction workers who are building another studio-apartment building right across the street from where I live. Of the six or seven lots that were empty when I arrived in Goyang City back in late February, two or three currently have construction going on. The place is filling up. Empty ground always, always gets snapped up by someone.

What I don't understand is: with space at such a premium in Korea, how do developers get away with building such short, midgety buildings? None of the structures in my neighborhood is over five stories tall. What a waste! With the constant, relentless pressure of an ever-expanding population, you'd think Koreans would be into stacking as many floors as possible onto a given footprint. But, no: instead, developers just build these dinky, flimsy little boxes that probably won't last more than twenty years before they'll be cracked and worn beyond repair. I always find myself scratching my head.

Maybe this is a massive ploy by workers' unions to keep construction workers perpetually employed. Anything's possible, especially on this bizarre little peninsula.


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