Daegu City Councilor Jaeu Kim Questions the Reason for Halting Cooling Cost Support for Jjokbang Residents This Year

122 Heat-Related Illnesses in Daegu Due to Heatwave
Air Conditioners Ineffective Without Utility Bill Support

Jaeu Kim, a member of the Daegu City Council (People Power Party, Dong-gu District 1), called for the expansion and substantial strengthening of heatwave countermeasures through a written administrative inquiry on August 27.

Due to the record-breaking heatwave this year, 3,763 cases of heat-related illnesses were reported nationwide between May 15 and August 19, with 122 cases reported in Daegu alone.

Jaeu Kim Daegu City Councilor

Councilor Kim reviewed Daegu City's current measures to protect residents of jjokbangchon (shantytown areas), who are particularly vulnerable to heatwaves, and urged the city to strengthen practical protection measures such as providing support for cooling costs.

He also pointed out the outcomes of the "Cooling Cost Support Project for Jjokbang Residents During Heatwaves," which was implemented for the first time nationwide from 2023 to 2024, and criticized the discontinuation of support this year. He emphasized that simply installing air conditioners without providing financial support for electricity bills is ineffective for jjokbangchon residents, most of whom are low-income. He urged the city to utilize the "Disaster Management Fund" to establish practical cooling measures.

Jaeu Kim requested that Daegu City consider regular support for cooling costs, based on the "Ordinance on Welfare and Living Stability Support for Jjokbang Residents in Daegu," which he sponsored in November 2022.

Councilor Kim also stressed that fundamentally improving the residential environment is the most important task in addressing the heatwave issues faced by jjokbangchon, and suggested the introduction of the "Gyeonggi Climate Insurance" program implemented in Gyeonggi Province.

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