Residents of the Dong-eui-dong slum in Seoul are enduring a severe heatwave without reliable access to cooling [1].
This crisis highlights the intersection of urban poverty and climate vulnerability, where the cost of electricity becomes a barrier to basic survival during extreme weather events [1].
Many residents in the area cannot use air conditioners freely due to concerns over high electricity bills [1]. While some communal air conditioning units exist, residents said that they are unreliable [1]. The situation worsened last week when a community cooling-fog system broke, removing a critical layer of protection against the heat [1].
Kim Jeong-suk, a resident of the area, described the living conditions as a steamer [1]. She said that because the inside of the home is so hot, she often sits outside and moves aside to let motorcycles pass [1].
Other residents expressed deeper fears regarding the safety of their neighbors. One unnamed resident said it would be a relief if people did not die and leave the area [1]. A YTN news anchor said that residents are worried their neighbors might collapse from the heat [1].
The lack of functional infrastructure in the Dong-eui-dong area means that night-time temperatures remain high, preventing residents from recovering during the hours when the sun is down [1]. This persistent heat increases the risk of heat-related illnesses for the elderly and vulnerable populations living in the small, crowded rooms of the slum [1].
““Summer is completely a steamer, a steamer,” said resident Kim Jeong-suk.”
The failure of the cooling-fog system and the inability of residents to afford electricity costs illustrate a systemic failure in urban heat mitigation. When communal infrastructure breaks down in high-density poverty zones, the lack of individual financial resources turns a weather event into a humanitarian risk, suggesting that current public health strategies for heatwaves are insufficient for the lowest income brackets.
