Seoul City Installs Air Conditioners in Shantytowns for 'Walking with the Vulnerable'... Aiming for 150 Units in 5 Shantytowns

Support for up to 50,000 KRW per household on electricity bills in July-August... Reducing electricity cost burden from air conditioner use

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government has begun installing air conditioners in jjokbangchon (small room villages) to help residents, who are more vulnerable to the heat, stay cool and comfortable during the summer. The city also plans to alleviate the burden of electricity bills by supporting up to 50,000 KRW per unit per month for electricity costs incurred from air conditioner installation and operation during July and August.

According to Seoul City on the 14th, the city conducted a first round of demand surveys for air conditioner installation inside jjokbangs through jjokbang counseling centers in five densely populated jjokbang areas by the 8th. Since the 11th, 56 air conditioners have been installed in the corridors of 25 jjokbang buildings in Yeongdeungpo, Namdaemun, and Changsin-dong. The city plans to continue the demand surveys in the five jjokbang dense areas and promptly complete the installation of a total of 150 units.

Additionally, Seoul City will quickly distribute summer bedding sets (single quilt, cool mat, pillow) to 2,453 residents of the jjokbang areas to support a cool sleeping environment. Jjokbangs are low-rise buildings under five floors where rooms are subdivided and mainly inhabited by low-income residents. The small rooms, about 1 to 2 pyeong (3.3 to 6.6 square meters), lack cooling devices such as air conditioners, making them highly vulnerable to heat.

As of the end of May 2022, the jjokbang dense areas managed by Seoul City consist of five regions with 282 jjokbang buildings, 3,516 rooms, and 2,453 residents. Among the residents, 1,463 (59.6%) are basic livelihood security recipients, 962 (39.2%) are elderly aged 65 or older, and 264 (10.8%) are persons with disabilities (overlapping counts), indicating that the majority of residents belong to economically and physically vulnerable groups.

Gu Jong-won, Director of Welfare Planning at Seoul City, said, “We will promptly provide cooling devices and cooling supplies so that jjokbang residents vulnerable to the heat can have a cool and healthy summer.” He added, “Going forward, all Seoul City policies will prioritize ‘walking together with the vulnerable’ as the highest value, and we will do our best to ensure that more benefits reach those who are struggling and marginalized.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.