Housing Vacancy, Structural Decline, and Voter Turnout in South Korea

What are the political consequences of vacant homes? While housing inequality and speculation have received growing attention in political science, the democratic implications of housing vacancy remain understudied. This study examines how vacancy, which has become an increasingly visible marker of demographic decline and spatial marginalization, affects voter turnout across 252 administrative districts in South Korea between 2016 and 2022. The analysis reveals a consistent and statistically significant negative relationship between housing vacancy and turnout. Vacancy not only reflects structural disadvantage but also undermines political efficacy, social capital, and local mobilization networks. These findings suggest that vacancy is more than an economic indicator; it functions as a spatial mechanism of political disengagement. This study underscores the importance of incorporating built environment conditions into models of political behavior and invites further research on how material decline shapes democratic participation at the territorial margins.