A jjokbang village in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul [Yonhap]
A jjokbang village in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul [Yonhap]

The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Community Chest of Korea announced Sunday that they will begin providing cooling appliances and electricity bill support to residents of jjokbang — cramped, low-cost single-room dwellings — starting Tuesday, targeting those most vulnerable to extreme heat.

The initiative is part of the government's "Summer Vulnerable Population Protection Plan," announced June 3, and aims to help residents confirmed to be struggling through the summer due to poor cooling conditions.

There are 10 jjokbang villages across the country, each served by a local government-run counseling center, but disparities in regional fiscal capacity have left some residents without adequate support. The Ministry of Health and Welfare is stepping in alongside the Community Chest of Korea to fill those gaps.

On June 15, the Community Chest of Korea received a designated donation of 250 million won ($161,000) from IBK Industrial Bank of Korea for the "Jjokbang Resident Heatwave Safety Support" project. The funds will be distributed to 10 jjokbang counseling centers nationwide and used to supply 40 air conditioners and 1,610 fans, as well as to subsidize electricity bills for residents.

To ensure residents can run cooling appliances without worrying about electricity costs during the prolonged heat, five jjokbang villages that do not receive separate electricity subsidies from their local governments will receive between 46,000 won and 120,000 won per person per month — depending on the area — for three months from July through September.

Health and Welfare Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong said she expects the support to allow jjokbang residents, who are among the most vulnerable to heatwaves, to spend the summer in comfort. "The government will implement the summer vulnerable population protection measures with substance and provide robust protection for vulnerable groups as the intense heat approaches," she said.


thlee@heraldcorp.com