Housing has traditionally been regarded as the most valuable asset in South Korea and is frequently used as an indicator of an individual’s socioeconomic status. In particular, this preference is evolving into a classification criterion for social class. This has led to rising social conflict and social anxiety in recent years. In this regard, this study examined the effect of residential characteristics, namely housing type and residential neighborhood, on subjective socioeconomic status using a multi-level logistic model centered on Seoul. The following are the key findings: First, it is demonstrated that home ownership has a substantial effect on subjective socioeconomic status. Second, the subjective socioeconomic status was found to vary depending on the type of housing in which a person currently resides, with residents of single-family housing having a higher subjective socioeconomic status than residents of other housing types. Third, residents of multi-household housing evaluated their socioeconomic status as the lowest. Fourth, the type of housing in one’s residential neighborhood was also found to be a significant factor in determining subjective socioeconomic status. Fifth, complex residential characteristics, such as the type of housing in which a person currently resides and the type of housing in the residential neighborhood, were found to have a considerable effect on subjective socioeconomic status. Through empirical analysis, this study examined the implications of inclusive housing policies that can reduce social problems and class conflicts and clearly identified the impact of residential characteristics on subjective socioeconomic status.

Fear of crime has a negative impact on the mental health of individuals, limiting their physical and social abilities. Moreover, the prevalence of such fear in the neighborhood weakens the bonds between neighbors and the overall community network, thereby undermining social capital and impeding the city’s sustainability. Disorder is a multilayered process shaped by type and spatial level and has a complex effect on fear of crime. Using a multilevel ordered logistic model, this study determines a more comprehensive cause of fear of crime by verifying the multilayered effects of disorder in Korea. The results include four main findings. First, people are relatively unaware of disorder occurring at the neighborhood level, and more sensitive to disorder at the city level. Second, social disorder has a more significant effect on fear of crime than physical disorder. Third, fear of crime is more affected by indirect factors than by direct factors and actual crimes. Finally, the impact of disorder on fear of crime is discriminatory, depending on the type and spatial structure. This study suggests that urban policy efforts focus more on indirect and macroscopic aspects in dealing with the decline of cities and managing issues related to social disorder.