Gap-Eul Relationship and Gentrification – Based on the Concept of Domination in Republican Theory – (2021.07)
- Author : Jo Gye-won
- Publication : The Study of Humanities and Sciences
- Publisher : The Institute of Humanities
- Volume : 43
- Date : July, 2021
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to analyze the injustice inherent in the landlord-tenant relationship of a commercial building, one of Gap-Eul relationships, and the phenomenon of gentrification, based on the concept of domination of republican theory, and to explore ways to minimize it. The main arguments are as follows. First, the landlord dominates the tenant in the relationship of commercial building lease. The tenant is highly dependent on the landlord because of its high exit cost, and the landlord with the superior position in bargaining can exercise social power to tenant through termination of the contract and refusal of renewal, and such power is likely to be exercised arbitrarily. Second, the gentrifiers, acting with common intentions to maximize potential ground rent, dominate the current residents. Current residents must move elsewhere to break away from social relations with gentrifiers. However, they do not want to migrate, so they depend on them. Gentrifiers have the social power to drive out current residents by raising the overall real estate prices and rents in the area, and use this power to unfairly extort profits from rising local asset values. Third, the tenant’s displacement caused by gentrification occurs due to overlapping domination in the landlord-tenant relationship and the gentrifiers-current residents relationship. Therefore, it is necessary to come up with measures to minimize the domination in each relationship.