Working Under Scorching Sun, Enduring Tropical Nights Alone: The Plight of Elderly Citizens

[Anchor]

Elderly citizens are inevitably the most vulnerable to the relentless scorching heatwaves continuing day after day. Yet, many around us still have no choice but to head out into the streets to make a living, and endure tropical nights at home with nothing more than a single electric fan.

Reporter Yun Nara has the story.

[Reporter]

An alleyway in Busan where daytime temperatures surpassed 39 degrees Celsius (102°F).

Grandma Choi pulls a handcart up the alley under the blazing sun.

Beads of sweat quickly form all over her face.

The pile of recycled paper, stacked as tall as she is, looks precarious enough to spill over at any moment. Even after gathering this much cardboard through the blistering heat, the money she takes home is only about 2,000 to 3,000 won.

[Grandma Choi (surname obscured): I don't want to do this, but I have no money. I pick them up at dawn, pile them up for a day or two, and then sell them.]

Grandma Hwang Soon-duk, who sells vegetables, relies solely on a single parasol to endure the extreme heat.

She has to withstand the scorching heat radiating from the ground, but she cannot easily close up shop.

[Hwang Soon-duk / Street Vendor: I come out because I live in poverty. I have to do it to make a living.]

Stifling heatwaves are also gripping Gangwon Province.

The temperature inside rooms heated up during midday shows no sign of dropping even after nightfall.

[Shin Pil-nam / Wonju, Gangwon Province: That's why I stay inside and don't go out. I only go out when it's cool. When I sweat, I get dizzy and my vision blurs. So I just don't go out. No matter what.]

Having an air conditioner installed would be nice, but money is the problem.

[Choi Geum-ja / Wonju, Gangwon Province: Installing an air conditioner costs money, and then there's the electricity bill to worry about. So we just can't have it. We just lie down and live with a single electric fan.]

Elderly individuals engaged in outdoor labor at an advanced age are particularly vulnerable to heatwaves, and many live alone, making it difficult for them to receive timely help even if heat-related illnesses occur.

[Ha Tae-hwa / Director, Babsang Community Comprehensive Social Welfare Center: Elderly people, those with disabilities, or those with chronic illnesses can find it difficult to cope. Furthermore, when their social networks are severed, it becomes even harder for them to ask for help.]

Experts point out that during heatwave periods, local governments need to provide more active support, such as checking in on vulnerable groups and supplying cooling products.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
(Video Reported by Hwang Tae-chul (KNN) and Lee Kwang-soo (G1 Broadcasting) | Video Edited by Kim Jin-won)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.