Yongsan District Mayor Park Hee-young Checks Safety of Seoul Station Squalid Room Residents Amid Severe Cold

On the morning of the 24th, met with residents of Seoul Station goshiwon to confirm normal operation of old boilers replaced on the 13th... Inspection for cold wave preparedness and fire safety accident prevention

Park Hee-young, Mayor of Yongsan District (right), is visiting the home of senior citizen Hwang Chun-hwa to listen to her concerns.

Park Hee-young, the mayor of Yongsan District, visited Seoul Station jjokbangchon on the morning of the 24th. The visit was to check whether residents in vulnerable housing areas are spending a safe winter.

At 5 a.m. on the 24th, the temperature in Seoul was around -10.8 degrees Celsius. For three consecutive days, daytime temperatures in Seoul have dropped to around 0 degrees Celsius, and strong winds have made the perceived temperature even lower.

Mayor Park said, “I am worried because extreme cold waves are occurring frequently due to climate change,” and emphasized, “If your body temperature drops rapidly or you notice any abnormal signs, you should immediately contact the local community center or jjokbang counseling center to get help.”

On that day, Mayor Park met with Hwang Chun-hwa (72), a resident of 17-5 Huam-ro 57-gil (Dongja-dong), checked the proper operation of a new boiler, and urged Lee Sang-jun (78), who lives in the same building, to practice safe living to prevent winter fires.

On the 13th, the Seoul Station jjokbang counseling center, together with the Korea Thermal Management Installation Association, supported the replacement of old boilers for 10 households in Seoul Station jjokbangchon.

From the 8th, the district visited about 800 households in Seoul Station jjokbang over three days to provide guidance on cold wave preparedness and fire prevention rules. They also inspected fixed firefighting facilities such as simple sprinklers, emergency fire hydrants, fire alarms, and firefighting equipment like fire extinguishers.

Since the sharp temperature drop began on the 20th, they have maintained a cooperative system with related agencies such as police stations and fire stations. While operating a 24-hour street counseling team for the homeless, they also supported fire prevention and winter supplies for the tent village near Yongsan Station.

Park Hee-young, mayor of Yongsan District, said, “Jjokbangchon, where many people live together in narrow and old spaces, is vulnerable to small sparks causing large damage,” and added, “We will continue surveillance activities to raise awareness, such as using only one outlet for electric heaters and unplugging others.”

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