Number of Bathhouses in Daegu Decreasing Annually... Kyungmin Kim Proposes Ordinance for Public Bathhouse Operation in Suseong District

On September 1, it was announced that the ordinance bill on the operation and support of bathhouses in Suseong District, Daegu, proposed by Council Member Kyungmin Kim, has passed the standing committee.

Assemblyman Kim stated that many bathhouses across the country have closed down since the COVID-19 pandemic. He explained that he proposed this ordinance to guarantee residents' "right to wash" and to prevent social isolation.

Kyungmin Kim, Daegu Suseong District Council Member

Through the enactment of this ordinance, Assemblyman Kim aimed to expand universal welfare services within the local community by allowing the establishment and operation of public bathhouses in areas lacking bathing facilities or for the convenience of vulnerable groups such as senior citizens and people with disabilities.

In Suseong District, Daegu, the number of bathhouses decreased from 63 in 2018 to 40 this year. An official from the Suseong District Council stated, "The number of neighborhood bathhouses has been decreasing year by year, so the ordinance includes a provision for the district to operate public bathhouses using its budget," adding, "Several public bathhouses are also being operated in places such as Seoul, Busan, and Ulsan."

Additionally, the ordinance stipulates that administrative and financial support can be provided to private bathhouses offering senior citizen discounts, in order to stabilize prices and prevent safety accidents. This establishes an institutional basis for both the private and public sectors to contribute to the improvement of residents' welfare.

The main contents of the ordinance include providing a legal basis for the establishment of new public bathhouses and the acquisition of private bathhouses, budget support for businesses offering senior citizen discounts to those aged 65 and older, support projects to prevent accidents in bathhouses, and the formation and review procedures of an operations committee.

Kyungmin Kim, Suseong District Council Member in Daegu, stated, "Bathhouses, which have been in decline since COVID-19, should now be approached not just as hygiene service facilities, but as places for physical and mental healing for senior citizens and socially vulnerable groups," adding, "Through the enactment of this ordinance, I hope to provide at least some assistance to socially disadvantaged groups who are in the welfare blind spot."