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Young man survives year living in car after jeonse scam, selected for public housing

Published: 02 Nov. 2025, 14:26

An online post titled “Selected for youth leasehold housing” (translated) shows a man in his 20s showing his life living in a car with his cat for over a year after a housing scam. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A man in his 20s who had been living in his car with a cat for over a year after falling victim to a jeonse (lump sum) housing deposit scam has been selected for a public rental housing program — a story that has drawn attention online.

A post titled “Review of being selected for youth rental housing” was recently uploaded to an online community. The poster, identifying themselves as a man in his late 20s, wrote, “After falling victim to a jeonse scam in Suwon, I lived in my car for nearly a year and a half. I signed the lease on Nov. 12 and moved in that same day.” He added, “Even after moving, I practically lived in a study cafe for a few days because of exams. But today I finally brought in my bed and slept for 20 hours.”

Following the scam, the man said he discarded most of his belongings, keeping only a few sets of clothes, and lived in his car with his cat. “A veterinarian told me that cats, being territorial animals, can manage in a car, so I followed that advice,” he wrote.

He described showering at a gym, drinking water and charging his phone at study cafes, and getting through each day however he could. “Summer was the hardest,” he recalled, “but I endured it to pay off debt.”

He also shared that his parents divorced when he was young and that he had lived with his grandmother, who passed away after being admitted to a nursing home when he was 20. “I’m learning firsthand how much a person’s environment can shape them,” he wrote. “I’m determined to stay grounded and keep working hard.”

He plans to prepare for both the civil service exam and an English language certification.

Online users responded with encouragement, leaving comments such as “This is someone who will succeed no matter what” and “It’s admirable that he stayed responsible for his cat to the end.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]