Yeongdeungpo district launches 24-hour patrols to protect vulnerable residents

Yeongdeungpo District in Seoul, South Korea, will launch a special winter protection plan starting November 15 to support homeless people and residents of jjokbang, which are small, cramped single-room housing units.

The district will deploy a team of 12 street counselors to conduct 24-hour patrols across areas including Yeongdeungpo Station, Yeongdeungpobon-dong, Yeongdeungpo-dong, and Mullae-dong. These counselors will monitor the health of residents, provide emergency shelter and medical connections, and distribute winter supplies like hot packs, gloves, and scarves.

The district will also coordinate patrols with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, the Yeongdeungpo Station police box, and homeless welfare facilities. To address medical gaps caused by the closure of the Joseph Clinic, the Bohyun Hope Support Center will provide free medical treatments on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 2 to 5 pm. During the peak cold months of January and February, the district plans to double the number of monthly bath vouchers for jjokbang residents from 2 to 4.

Additionally, officials are inspecting 36 jjokbang buildings to fix 72 safety issues, such as outdated power strips and missing fire extinguishers.