Transformation of the courtyard space in contemporary Korean urban context. Ikseon-dong Hanok Village case study

This study investigates the transformation of courtyard space in Ikseon-dong Hanok Village, a 20th-century neighborhood in Seoul, where unsupervised renovations have increasingly compromised the local spatial integrity and authenticity. Previous research has addressed hanok housing, Ikseon-dong, or gentrification separately, but has overlooked the courtyard as an independent spatial element. This study fills that gap by analyzing changes in function, typologies, and spatial integrity through field observations, archival research, and spatial analysis. Findings reveal a drastic reduction in the courtyard ratio – from 17.65% in the 1930s to 4% by 2025 - driven by commercial expansion and unauthorized alterations, with covered courtyards increasing from 18.46% in the mid-2010s to approximately 80% by 2025. The historic role of the courtyard as a transition route from the public zone to the private domain has been replaced by direct street-to-interior access. The findings highlight regulatory gaps, such as the absence of clear functional definitions for courtyard use, weak enforcement, and a lack of integration with hanok neighborhood-scale planning. The study calls for revised policies and adaptive reuse guidelines that preserve openness, visibility, and urban continuity, positioning the courtyard as both a tangible morphological feature and an intangible cultural asset vital to Korean urban heritage.