Hong Soon-ok, Bupyeong District Councillor: "Locked Cold Shelters, Operational Information Not Found Even After Searching... Empty Administrative Promises"

Hong Soon-ok, an independent councillor from Incheon Bupyeong District (Gal-san 1 and 2-dong, Samsan 1-dong), strongly criticised the operational status of the cold shelters managed by the district office, demanding practical cold weather measures that vulnerable groups can truly feel, rather than mere showy administration.

During the third meeting of the 274th Bupyeong District Council's temporary session held on January 30, Councillor Hong focused on the efficiency issues of cold shelters and safe accommodation in her questioning of the Safety Management Division.

Councillor Hong pointed out, "Despite the recent record-breaking cold wave leading to a flood of safety alert messages, there is not a single cold shelter in our district that operates at night." He stated, "It is a significant problem that there is no place for disaster-vulnerable groups to stay from the peak of the cold at night until early morning," urging the designation of regional hub shelters to operate 24 hours, even temporarily.

In response, a district official stated, "Realistically, it is difficult to operate 24 hours due to manpower and facility management issues," adding, "Instead, we are guiding people to use safe accommodation (private lodging) when special alerts are issued."

Councillor Hong also pointed out the chronic issues of 'lack of publicity' and 'poor management' in administration. He noted, "When I personally visited several designated senior centre shelters late at night, the doors were thoroughly locked," and added, "It is common for even the elderly at the senior centres and the managers to be unaware that their facilities are designated as cold shelters or safe accommodations."

There are a total of 67 cold shelters operating in Bupyeong District, including 26 administrative welfare centres and 34 senior centres. Councillor Hong emphasised, "Just hanging a sign does not make it a shelter," stating that careful management and education in each district are necessary so that residents can always find a warm welcome.

The issue of digital information accessibility was also brought to light. When Councillor Hong searched for Bupyeong District cold shelters through a portal site map, it was revealed that only the names of the places appeared, with no accurate operational hours, internal facility configurations, or navigation information registered at all.

Councillor Hong suggested, "For not only the generation familiar with mobile environments but for everyone looking for shelters, the operational hours by day and detailed locations should be immediately updated in the portal information." The head of the Safety Management Division acknowledged, "The points you raised are entirely correct," promising, "We will review and adjust the information immediately."

Meanwhile, at the conclusion of his inquiries, Councillor Hong encouraged the staff of the Transportation Administration, who are experiencing conflicts over the installation of the GTX-B line ventilation shafts, reminding them, "Ultimately, the only support residents can rely on is the district office staff, so please take pride in your work and strive to resolve the current issues."