Korean Asbestos Slate Roofs

In South Korean usage, rural "slate" (슬레이트) roofs are usually asbestos-cement sheet rather than natural stone: a cheap, light roofing material that spread rapidly across the countryside from the 1970s. It replaced much of the rice-straw thatch (choga) of rural houses and was used on warehouses and livestock sheds. Decades later, ageing slate roofs are treated as a health hazard, and local governments run subsidised programmes to remove them.

Origins

Korea's traditional rural roof was rice-straw thatch, which needed renewing every one to three years. The decline of thatch began in the 1960s, and the New Village Movement (Saemaul Undong), launched in 1970, promoted modern roofs across the countryside. By the 1980s thatched roofs had largely been replaced by cement and slate roofs. Asbestos slate was widely used for roofs and ceilings from the 1970s.

Health concern

Korean asbestos slate contains roughly 10-15 per cent asbestos, a Class 1 carcinogen. As the sheets weather, crack or are broken during repairs, fibres can be released, and long-term exposure is linked to lung cancer and other serious diseases.

Removal programmes

Since 2011, local governments have run slate removal support projects. Typical schemes cover houses, warehouses and livestock sheds, with recent extensions to facilities for older people and children. In Gwangju, for example, the 2025 budget of 1.328 billion won was intended for 360 buildings; ordinary households could receive 3.52-7 million won toward removal of slate from a house, priority households such as basic-livelihood recipients received full support, non-residential buildings were covered for up to 200 m² (2,150 sq ft) of slate, and priority households could receive 3.14 million won for a new roof. Gwangju had removed or supported 4,462 slate buildings since 2011. Similar schemes run in rural counties such as Yeonggwang.

Replacement roofs

Removal grants and re-roofing grants are separate. In Gwangju's scheme, roof improvement funding applies to houses only and is reserved for priority households; other owners receive support for removal and arrange the new roof themselves. Tenants may apply with the owner's consent.

Context

Asbestos-cement roofing was used worldwide in the 20th century and is now banned or restricted in many countries. Korea's case is notable for how quickly slate spread through a single national rural modernisation drive and for the scale of the public removal effort that followed.