Residents of a vinyl-covered housing complex in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, are enduring extreme indoor heat during the current summer wave [1].
The situation highlights the vulnerability of low-income populations living in non-traditional housing, where structural design and energy costs create dangerous living conditions.
Nine households live in the complex known as Bee Village [2]. The structures are wrapped in vinyl, which traps both heat and humidity inside the homes. This design causes temperatures to rise sharply, with measured indoor heat reaching 38°C [2]. Some residents said that temperatures occasionally exceed 40°C [2].
Despite the extreme heat, many residents are unable to use air conditioning. High electricity bills make the cost of cooling prohibitive for these households [2].
"It is better outside... there are times when it is over 40 degrees indoors," a resident said [2].
Another resident said that even if they have an air conditioner, they can hardly turn it on because of the burden of electricity costs [2].
Reporter Kim Yi-young said that heat and humidity build up inside the vinyl houses, causing residents to sweat even while standing still [2]. The combination of the greenhouse effect created by the vinyl and the lack of affordable cooling has left the residents in a precarious state as the summer heat persists.
“It is better outside... there are times when it is over 40 degrees indoors”
The crisis at Bee Village illustrates the intersection of energy poverty and inadequate housing infrastructure. When basic shelter fails to provide thermal protection and the cost of artificial cooling is out of reach, residents face significant health risks from heat exhaustion. This case underscores the need for targeted energy subsidies or structural housing improvements for those in non-standard residential complexes during extreme weather events.
