Ahead of Typhoon 'Khanun' Forecast
Over 200 Homeless Evacuated
"Where Would I Go Leaving My Home?"
Some Tent Village Homeless Refuse Evacuation
On the morning of the 11th, around 7 a.m., as heavy rain poured due to the influence of Typhoon No. 6 'Khanun', the Seoul Metropolitan Restart Comprehensive Support Center (the Center) in Jung-gu, Seoul, was filled with homeless people who had evacuated to escape the typhoon. Ahead of the typhoon forecast, the Center mobilized about 30 homeless street counselors the previous day to evacuate around 200 homeless people near Seoul Station. Most of the homeless evacuated to Seoul Station and Namdaemun underpass, and among them, 15 people in poor health were transported to the Center.
Seoul Metropolitan City Dasiseogi Comprehensive Support Center street counselors for the homeless checked on the well-being of homeless people at a homeless tent village near the Seoul Station West Intersection in Jung-gu, Seoul, around 7:30 a.m. on the 11th./Photo by Choi Taewon skking@
Although most of the homeless had completed evacuation, the counselors' faces were still full of tension. Despite several earnest evacuation notices the previous day, residents of the homeless tent village near the western intersection of Seoul Station stubbornly refused to evacuate. The counselors had no choice but to install waterproof vinyl on the tents and urge them to evacuate to the underpass or the Center if anything happened before withdrawing.
Around 7 a.m. that day, the counselors who arrived at the Center quickly put on yellow vests and rushed to the tent village. On the way to the tent village, counselor Hwang (54) said, "The people in the tent village say, 'This is our home, where else would we go?' and strongly refuse to evacuate. The rain and wind last night were not as severe as expected, so it seems like nothing serious happened, but we need to check quickly," as he hurried his steps.
Upon arriving at the tent village, the counselors knocked on dozens of tents one by one and opened doors to check on the homeless people's safety. Counselor Kwak (36) greeted the homeless, saying, "Sir, was everything okay last night? Are you alright? If you're cold, please be sure to go to the underpass or the Center. It could be dangerous. Please come later." However, the responses were cold. Most reluctantly replied shortly, "Yes, I'm fine," and gestured tiredly for them to leave quickly.
Although there was no major damage in the tent village, one tent appeared soaked inside, possibly due to poor waterproofing. The counselors tried to persuade the homeless inside the tent to go to the Center to warm up, asking if they were cold, but the homeless person was adamant. Eventually, they decided to bring dry clothes and towels to wipe inside the tent before turning back. Counselor Kwak said, "He is in his 60s, does not eat properly, drinks a lot, and his health is generally poor. Still, he is firmly determined not to leave the tent village, which worries us a lot."
Typhoon No. 6 'Khanun' passed near Seoul Metropolitan City on the night of the 10th. Homeless people who evacuated under the guidance of street counselors for the homeless are resting at the Seoul Station underpass in Jung-gu, Seoul. [Image provided by Seoul Metropolitan City Restart Comprehensive Support Center]
After inspecting the tent village, the counselors moved to the Seoul Station underpass to check on the homeless who had evacuated the previous day. Counselor Hwang said, "Among those who evacuated, some are very weak. We gave them glucose tablets yesterday, so I hope they are doing well. Usually, we check to make sure they swallow the tablets because they might get stuck in their throat. For those who refuse to take the tablets, we coax and soothe them like giving medicine to children," he explained.
While inspecting the Seoul Station underpass, Counselor Kwak hurriedly ran over upon spotting a homeless person. It was confirmed that a homeless person who had evacuated to the Center the previous day was out in the underpass. He checked the person's complexion and asked, "Why did you come out of the Center? Are you feeling unwell? Please be sure to eat. Do you know where the free meal service is?" The homeless person nodded, but Kwak could not hide his worried expression as he took heavy steps away.
The patrol ended around 8:30 a.m., but the counselors' work was not over. Taking a breath while drinking water, they said, "Based on the situation we assessed during the patrol, we need to prepare and deliver water, masks, dry clothes, and other supplies," and returned to the office to prepare support items.
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