[This Person] Why Did Yoodonggyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu, Seoul, Become the First in Seoul to Support Mobile Air Conditioners for Vulnerable Groups?

After a full survey, 464 households selected to receive 'portable air conditioners' by early August... 1,600 energy-vulnerable households in the area targeted for a 5-year project until 2025

Yoo Dong-gyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu (right), talking with a resident who received a portable air conditioner.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] “After the used air conditioner installed when I moved in broke down, I endured the summer with just one fan. The district’s attentive support means a lot to me, and I am truly grateful.”

Mr. Lee, who lives in a rental apartment in Mapo-gu with his two children attending elementary school and kindergarten, repeatedly expressed his gratitude while looking at the portable air conditioner he received as support.

Mapo-gu (District Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) has been distributing ‘portable air conditioners’ since the 23rd of last month, becoming the first district in Seoul to help energy-vulnerable groups in the area stay cool during the summer.

The ‘portable air conditioner’ support project is one of the district’s representative energy welfare initiatives aimed at assisting vulnerable groups struggling with the summer heatwave.

Before launching the project, the district conducted a full survey from January for two months on basic livelihood security households in each neighborhood of Mapo-gu, focusing on single-parent families, seniors aged 65 and older, and households with disabled members. It identified about 1,600 households that either did not have air conditioners or had broken or outdated units, forcing them to endure hot and humid summers.

Based on the survey results, the district judged that with the annual record-breaking summer temperatures and the continuous increase in heatwave days, urgent support was needed to provide practical help to energy-vulnerable groups. It thus began preparing proactive countermeasures.

The district prioritized low-income single-parent families for support and completed the selection of beneficiaries. This year, it plans to distribute portable air conditioners to a total of 464 households?including 144 single-parent families and 320 senior and disabled households?by early August.

Considering that many low-income households live in rental apartments, the district prepared portable air conditioners equipped with built-in outdoor units and wheels for easy installation and mobility. The units also include air purification functions to carefully protect residents’ health from fine dust.

A district official said, “By actively utilizing bid price differences and other means, we were able to support 39 more households than originally planned. We are pleased to be able to help more families endure the peak of the heatwave.”

Starting with this year’s project, the district plans to continue providing tailored support annually and aims to complete the distribution of portable air conditioners to about 1,600 low-income energy-vulnerable households in the area by 2025.

Additionally, next year the project will be launched earlier to complete air conditioner distribution to vulnerable households before summer arrives.

Yoo Dong-gyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “I hope this portable air conditioner support will greatly improve the quality of life for low-income households that have had to endure hot and humid summers. We will continue to expand customized energy welfare projects that residents can directly feel.”