The face of slum area in South Korea

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It is the instantly recognisable name made famous by South Korea pop sensation Psy in the world's most watched video 'Gangnam Style'.

Seen at least 2.3 billion times worldwide on YouTube, the video hails Gangnam as South Korea's answer to Beverly Hills.

A skyscraper-filled metropolis synonymous with urban cool, flash cars and fashion style - where the beautiful people of Seoul hang out and go to be seen.

But scratch beneath the surface of Gangnam's commercial district, and in the shadow of the shiny office blocks where millions of dollars are made in big-money deals every day, there is a sad story of people living penniless in a slum a world away from the riches surrounding them.

Two thousand people are crammed into the overcrowded Gangnam slum, a shanty town made up of a sea of ramshackle huts and corrugated iron roofs, where several families are forced to share one hole-in-the-ground toilet and even the bugs have become resistant to insect repellent.

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Glossed over: In his hugely-watched music video, South Korean pop star Psy (centre, performing the famous Gangnam Style dance) depicted Gangnam as Seoul's answer to Beverly Hills

Glossed over: In his hugely-watched music video, South Korean pop star Psy (centre, performing the famous Gangnam Style dance) depicted Gangnam as Seoul's answer to Beverly Hills

Poverty: But the glittering skyscrapers of Seoul's Gangnam district cast a shadow over from Guryong village, the city's last remaining shanty town with the contrast between rich and poor is so obvious

Poverty: But the glittering skyscrapers of Seoul's Gangnam district cast a shadow over from Guryong village, the city's last remaining shanty town with the contrast between rich and poor is so obvious

A world away: The skyscrapers where big money deals are done and rich people hang out in bars and clubs provide the backdrop for those scraping a living Guryong village who go without the most basic of facilities, sharing communal toilets

A world away: The skyscrapers where big money deals are done and rich people hang out in bars and clubs provide the backdrop for those scraping a living Guryong village who go without the most basic of facilities, sharing communal toilets

Impoverished: The sea of corrugated iron roofs and ramshackle huts sprang up after the mass eviction of people in the run-up to the 1988 Seoul Olympics

Impoverished: The sea of corrugated iron roofs and ramshackle huts sprang up after the mass eviction of people in the run-up to the 1988 Seoul Olympics

Guryong village in Gangnam is Seoul's last remaining shanty town - an illegal encampment which was established after mass eviction that took place from poor neighbourhoods in the run-up to the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Made homeless by urban renewal projects undertaken for the games, they settled on private land in the then underdeveloped Gangnam area.

They could not have known then that their neighbours would one day be among the wealthiest in the country, mocked for their extravagant lifestyle in Psy's smash hit. And it’s here where the contrast between rich and poor is so clearly illustrated.

Last year an apartment at Tower Palace, a residential complex overlooking Guryong Village, sold for £2.3million - the second most expensive property to change hands in South Korea in 2014.

But while those living in Gangnam's high rises debate which flatscreen TV they want in their second bedroom, those living in Guryong are without even the most basic of facilities.

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Distant dream: For the people living in the Gangnam slum, skyscraper-filled metropolis Psy (pictured) depicts in his music video is a long way away

Distant dream: For the people living in the Gangnam slum, skyscraper-filled metropolis Psy (pictured) depicts in his music video is a long way away

Reality: People living there are hemmed in with up to 2,000 people living there crammed into an area the size of 70 football pitches

Reality: People living there are hemmed in with up to 2,000 people living there crammed into an area the size of 70 football pitches

Basic: Last year a blaze in the village killed one person and destroyed dozens of homes, which are cramped together in a maze of narrow lanes

Rich and poor: Residents have banded together to pay for utilities such as electricity and water and in recent years, they have been connected to the postal service

Rich and poor: Residents have banded together to pay for utilities such as electricity and water and in recent years, they have been connected to the postal service

Lack of hygiene: The bug problem in the village is said to have become so bad that the creatures have become resistant to insect repellent residents use

Lack of hygiene: The bug problem in the village is said to have become so bad that the creatures have become resistant to insect repellent residents use

Paradox: Psy (pictured) relaxes with a cold drink on a beach in his Gangnam Style video, but the reality is that those living in Guryong are without even the most basic of facilities

Paradox: Psy (pictured) relaxes with a cold drink on a beach in his Gangnam Style video, but the reality is that those living in Guryong are without even the most basic of facilities

Toilets, which consist of hole-in-the-ground squatters, are shared by multiple households.

'The inconvenient thing now are the toilets, because they are used publicly by several houses,' Yoo Ae-soon, who moved to the village in 1996 after her restaurant business failed, told MailOnline.

'If they were flush toilets, that would be OK. But an old-fashioned squatter? That's uncomfortable.'

Like most of the residents, the 60-year-old mother-of-three makes do with little. While her husband sleeps at his office most nights, she makes a small wage by cutting hair at her tiny home.

Sometimes, she has just one customer every few weeks, but knows how to stretch a 20kg bag of rice so it can last for up to four months.

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Scraping a living: Hairdresser Yoo Ae-soon is hardworking and proud of the small business she runs from her home in Guryong

Scraping a living: Hairdresser Yoo Ae-soon is hardworking and proud of the small business she runs from her home in Guryong

Pride: Yoo Ae-soon moved to the village in 1996 after her restaurant business failed and said she has to watch her spending carefully as she only earns a modest wage

Pride: Yoo Ae-soon moved to the village in 1996 after her restaurant business failed and said she has to watch her spending carefully as she only earns a modest wage

'If I earn enough to eat here, that's sufficient,' Yoo said. 'I debate whether or not to eat rice twice a day.

'If you get used to living like this, nothing is uncomfortable.'

While the exact population is unknown, somewhere between 700 and 2,000 people are thought to be crammed onto about 70 acres of land in a district famed for its sky-high real estate prices.

The dirt lanes are littered with rubbish and broken-down vehicles and machinery, which are sold by villagers for extra income.

The bugs, one widow told Business Insider, are so bad they have become resistant to insect repellent.

A resident, known only as Kim, who cleans the windows of the skyscrapers to earn a living after her husband's death more than three decades ago, admitted she envied those living in the towers above her.

Dangerous: Fires are common in the impoverish village in the shadow of the skyscrapers due to shoddy electrical work and a reliance on solid fuels

Dangerous: Fires are common in the impoverish village in the shadow of the skyscrapers due to shoddy electrical work and a reliance on solid fuels

Poor living conditions: The dirt lanes are littered with rubbish and broken-down vehicles and machinery, which are sold by villagers to earn them extra income

Poor living conditions: The dirt lanes are littered with rubbish and broken-down vehicles and machinery, which are sold by villagers to earn them extra income

'Why wouldn't I? I pray every day that some day my kids can have a life like them,' she said.

But there are more pressing concerns for the residents of Guryong Village. Mainly, the serious risk of fire, which is common due to shoddy electrical work and a reliance on solid fuels.

Last year, a blaze in one section of the village killed one person and destroyed dozens of homes, which are cramped together throughout a maze of narrow lanes. It was the 11th fire since 2009.

Yet the people refuse to be beaten, creating a community among the dirt. There is not only a hairdressers, but there are also several vegetable plots, shops, a volunteer center for the disabled and a number of churches.

Residents have banded together to pay for utilities such as electricity and water. In recent years, they have been connected to the postal service and given temporary residency cards to allow them to vote in elections.

Dragging their heels: Efforts to redevelop the area and rehouse the Guryong villagers have been repeatedly held up by government in-fighting

Dragging their heels: Efforts to redevelop the area and rehouse the Guryong villagers have been repeatedly held up by government in-fighting

Efforts to redevelop the area and rehouse the villagers have been repeatedly stymied by government in-fighting, divisions among the locals and legal complications arising from the presence of multiple landowners.

'It's as though it got left behind in Seoul's rush to expand and modernize -- a reminder of the conditions in which many more Koreans once lived,' said Donald Kirk, a foreign correspondent who has covered South Korea since the 1970s.

'The situation has dragged on for a number of reasons, notably bureaucratic inability to figure out what to do with aging residents, where to put them, etc.'

In 2012, Seoul City and Gangnam District Office were set on a collision course when they produced separate proposals for rehousing and compensating the residents.

Late last year, a resolution seemed in sight when Seoul finally agreed to the district office's plan to allow public entities to purchase all of the land and compensate the residents. But since then, progress has stalled again, with Seoul City arguing in favor of partially compensating the residents with land rights in return for less money.

Slow process: Seoul City and Gangnam District Office are at logger heads over how best to improve living standards there. They have produced separate proposals for rehousing and compensating the residents

Slow process: Seoul City and Gangnam District Office are at logger heads over how best to improve living standards there. They have produced separate proposals for rehousing and compensating the residents

Dubious intentions: While the residents of Guryong village are united in their desire for redevelopment, they are suspicious and anxious about what the future holds for them

Dubious intentions: While the residents of Guryong village are united in their desire for redevelopment, they are suspicious and anxious about what the future holds for them

After so much time and many false dawns, frustration, anger and distrust are evident among residents.

One local shopkeeper, who did not wish to be named, said she has been hearing promises about redeveloping the village since she first arrived in 1989.

She told MailOnline: 'They said they'd tell us (the final plan) in July or August of this year... but August has passed. They say October or November, but we don't know.

'If they say it's October or November, the people should know everything by now already, so there is talk of delaying until February or March next year. I don't believe that either.'

While residents appear united in wanting redevelopment, they also remain suspicious and anxious about their future. Among other uncertainties, they question whether they would be able to actually afford rental housing that has been proposed by the local authorities.

Speaking to Business Insider, Kim added: 'I am scared that I will continue to live here and die here.

'I want to die in a slightly better place.'

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