Seoul City to Provide 50,000 Won in Cooling Cost Support per Household for Vulnerable Groups

by Kim Youngwon

Published 23 Jul.2025 11:15(KST)

Paid Directly to Individual Accounts Without Separate Application

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will provide 50,000 won in cooling cost support per household to vulnerable groups struggling to cope with the heat.

On July 23, the city announced that it would provide 50,000 won in cooling cost support per household to a total of 389,000 households, including 346,000 households receiving the National Basic Livelihood Security benefit, 43,000 households under the Seoul-type Basic Security program, the near-poor, and low-income single-parent families residing in Seoul.

Yonhap News Agency

This support is separate from the government’s energy voucher program, so eligible recipients can receive both benefits if they meet the requirements.

The cooling cost payments will begin in the first week of next month. To expedite the process, the funds will be deposited directly into recipients’ bank accounts after verification by each district office, without the need for a separate application. For households without registered accounts, those using seizure-protected accounts, or those unable to open a bank account, cash will be provided as an exception.

Additionally, 842 social welfare facilities, including welfare centers and nursing homes for the elderly, will receive cooling cost support for two months, July and August. Depending on the facility’s size and number of users, the support ranges from a minimum of 200,000 won to a maximum of 8 million won, with a total of 870 million won allocated. Senior community centers will receive 165,000 won per center for two months as cooling cost support.

In areas with dense clusters of small rooms (jjokbangchon), support was provided for the replacement and cleaning of filters for 281 air conditioners in shared spaces and counseling centers.

Yoon Jongjang, Director of Welfare at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, “Due to the recent impacts of climate change, record-breaking heat waves have continued, making it difficult to endure without the help of cooling devices. We hope that this cooling cost support will provide at least some relief to vulnerable groups enduring a difficult summer.”