Gyeonggi Province to Operate 67 Accommodation-Type Emergency Shelters for Cold Wave Response

Gyeonggi Province has designated 67 "accommodation-type emergency shelters" across 31 cities and counties to prevent casualties caused by cold waves and to protect vulnerable groups.

Accommodation-type emergency shelters are a system that allows vulnerable individuals, who face difficulties such as heating outages or deteriorating living conditions during cold wave warnings, to temporarily stay in lodging facilities such as motels and inns to escape the cold.

Previously, emergency shelters during cold wave warnings were mainly designated as duty rooms or disaster situation rooms within government offices, which drew criticism for their limited accessibility and convenience for users.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

Gyeonggi Province explained that it introduced accommodation-type emergency shelters to address the limitations of the previous system and to establish a more practical protection framework.

All 31 cities and counties in the province have now secured at least two accommodation-type emergency shelters each, taking into account local conditions and the distribution of vulnerable populations.

Eligible users of these accommodation-type emergency shelters include elderly people living alone, individuals with disabilities, residents of single-room dwellings, and households experiencing heating outages-essentially, those most vulnerable to cold waves. Those in need can contact their respective city or county offices for assistance.

The shelters can be used for up to seven days during the period of a cold wave warning, and the stay can be extended if the warning persists. They can be used repeatedly each time a cold wave warning is issued. Accommodation costs are fully covered by the "Gyeonggi Province Disaster Relief Fund," up to a maximum of 70,000 won per night.