Construction practices#

China#

TODO

Hong Kong#

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Japan#

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Macao#

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North Korea#

There is little information regarding building construction practices in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The most recent official statistics available for housing are from 2014 and distinuish between housing types (i.e., apartment, single dwelling, row houses) within subnational boundaries, but do not specify common building materials used. Additionally, photographs of buildings in Pyongyang can help infer common construction types in the capital, but have a potentially limited relevance to areas elsewhere. It is additionally assumed that pre-war construction (<1950) bears similarities to that of South Korea as the two countries were previously united. However, much of DPRK’s building stock was destroyed during the war. Following the war, Pyongyang was entirely rebuilt with the 1960s and 1970s representing peak years of reconstruction. In the 1990s, the collapse of the soviet bloc, the resulting economic crisis, and a massive famine caused construction to slow. In more recent years, DPRK has embarked upon ambitious housing construction projects.

South Korea#

The Korea Housing Act (2014) differentiates between different types of dwellings:

  • Detached dwelling*

  • Apartment

  • Row house

  • Apartment unit in a private house

*The definition of ‘detached dwelling’ in this case can include apartment buildings where the total area is less than 660m2 and the building is less than 3 storeys

The KOrean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) provides national statistics at the city/province level for buildings by use and dwelling areas by dwelling type. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) includes statistics on buildings by the number of storeys and construction material (see table below). Additionally, the Population and Housing Census (2020) included statistics on the construction ages by province/city.

Material

Percentage

Bricks

41.1%

Reinforced concrete

34.3%

Light gauge steel

8.0%

Cement block

7.0%

Wooden

4.4%

Masonry

3.7%

Steel

1.1%

Others

0.5%

Taiwan#

TODO