80% of Heat Shelters Operated as Membership-Based Senior Centers
Free Alternatives: Subways and Gwangjucheon Stream
Original Purpose of 'Open to All' Fades as Users Turn Away
On the morning of the 22nd, Gyesu Senior Center in Ssangchon-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju, is operating with one side of the door locked. Photo by Min Chanki
"It's actually more comfortable to rest outside. If you walk around, your sweat dries quickly."
On the morning of the 22nd, at Gyesu Senior Center (Heat Shelter) in Ssangchon-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju.
With the daytime high reaching 34 degrees Celsius, around 15 to 20 elderly women had gathered at this heat shelter to escape the heat. The shelter has two rooms, but one of them was firmly locked. When asked about the purpose of the adjacent room, one of the seniors replied, "It's a place where elderly men occasionally stop by. About four men rested there yesterday as well, but usually, the door is kept locked to prevent theft."
Heat shelters are spaces designated and operated by the government and local authorities so that seniors and citizens with limited mobility, who are vulnerable to heat waves, can escape the heat. They are intended to be freely accessible to anyone. However, at this particular shelter, access for outsiders was not unrestricted. The seniors explained, "Younger people rarely visit, and since it's hot outside, they don't bother coming all the way here." In reality, everything from the operating hours to the use of air conditioning was being determined autonomously by those who mainly use the facility.
The situation was the same at a heat shelter in a nearby apartment complex. The heat shelter within the apartment complex was being run as a membership-based senior center. Because small membership fees are collected to purchase daily necessities for the center, it has naturally become a members-only system. As a result, it was difficult for outsiders to use the senior center.
One senior said, "There are already so many people coming here that it's full, and we are not accepting new members. While it is technically open to non-members, it is rare to see outsiders here."
On the other hand, a resident of the apartment complex, Mr. Kim (21), said, "I tried to go in while waiting for a friend, but I was turned away. The seniors using the facility don't seem to welcome outsiders, so I don't bother visiting anymore."
On the morning of the 22nd, elderly people are seeking relief from the heat at Mannam Square near Geumnamno 4-ga Station in Dong-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Min Chanki
Some seniors are being pushed toward subways, stations, and the Gwangjucheon stream, where they can stay for free. Around the same time, a ride on the subway revealed that the seats reserved for the elderly were full, with seniors cooling off from the heat.
At Mannam Square near Geumnamno 4-ga Station in Dong-gu, Gwangju, dozens of seniors were sitting and fanning themselves to escape the heat. They spent their time watching the recently revitalized underground shopping mall, bustling with shoppers using the Min Saeng Recovery Consumption Coupons. One senior commented, "If you ride the subway to the last stop and back, or walk along the Gwangjucheon stream, time passes quickly. When I try to use places like the senior center, I am treated like a stranger, so I hesitate to go. I feel much more at ease just walking around outside."
According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Gwangju City, and the five local districts, there are currently 1,547 heat shelters operating in the Gwangju area. Of these, 1,301 (84%) are senior centers, with the remainder being 142 public facilities such as administrative welfare centers and libraries, and 54 private facilities.
Despite being operated as spaces that anyone can use during the summer to protect vulnerable groups from heat waves, most heat shelters are being neglected by their intended users, leading to criticism that they have become virtually useless.
Regarding this, an official from one of the local districts said, "We are trying to ensure that as many seniors as possible can use the senior centers, but for efficient management, some are run as membership-based facilities. We will continue to develop welfare programs in various ways to ensure that vulnerable groups are not marginalized or exposed to heat waves."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
