"Let's Move into Haengbok Housing"... Thousands Wait in Heatwave Until Fainting

"Unexpected Queues... Unable to Prevent Disorder in Advance"

Busan Urban Corporation, which was criticized for leaving citizens waiting for hours under the scorching sun during the additional tenant application process for Happy Housing, has issued an apology.

Through an announcement on its official website, Busan Urban Corporation bowed its head, stating, "On the day of recruitment, due to an unexpectedly long waiting line, heatwave, and some applicants receiving duplicate application numbers, we failed to prevent disorder in advance due to immature administration, causing great inconvenience to the citizens waiting."

It added, "We deeply regret and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and distress caused to the citizens without any promise. We pledge to renew our efforts to ensure fairness and trust through more meticulous and fair procedures and conduct in the upcoming rental housing tenant recruitment process."

A citizen collapsed in the hot weather on the 5th [Image source=Yonhap News]

The day before, at the corporation’s headquarters located in Busanjin-gu, Busan, a lottery was scheduled to select additional tenants for the Happy Housing 2nd Complex in front of City Hall and Gyeongdong Forest Hill Happy Housing Ami. The lottery began at 8 a.m., and since on-site registration was mandatory, thousands of citizens gathered from early morning.

On that day, a heatwave warning was in effect in Busan, and the temperature soared past 33 degrees Celsius. Citizens reportedly had to endure hours of waiting outdoors under the blazing sun without being allowed inside the building. At one point, the waiting line stretched several hundred meters from the headquarters to nearby Buam Station, and police were dispatched to control the scene.

Meanwhile, a woman who had been waiting for 3 to 4 hours suddenly collapsed and was transported by the 119 emergency medical team. Since the housing supply targets were composed of youth and elderly, pregnant women and seniors enduring the heatwave were also noticeable.

Ultimately, the corporation expressed its apology for citizens having to wait for long hours in the heatwave and, fearing greater inconvenience, suspended first-come, first-served registration.

Instead, the Happy Housing supply schedule will be extended from the 5th to the 9th of the month, and applications will be accepted both on-site and by registered mail. The registration method will also be changed from first-come, first-served to a lottery system to ensure fairness and trust.

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