President Lee Jae-myung greets residents during a visit to the Donui-dong jjokbang district in Seoul’s Jongno on the 21st. Cheong Wa Dae
President Lee Jae-myung visited a jjokbang (tiny single-room dwelling) district in Don-ui-dong, Seoul, to personally check on residents’ living conditions and safety in preparation for summer’s heavy rain and heat wave. The visit followed a Cabinet meeting in which he directed support measures for groups vulnerable to extreme heat, including jjokbang residents, elderly people living alone, and outdoor workers.
Kang Yoo-jung, senior presidential spokesperson, announced the visit in a written briefing on the 21st. As he walked through the alleys, the president asked every resident he met whether they were in good health and whether they had any inconveniences or needs. He then visited residents in their rooms to discuss their health and difficulties in daily life. He also asked whether they had received high fuel cost subsidies and inquired about their rent levels.
When told that monthly rent was around 300,000 won, the president asked back, “Isn’t that too expensive?” When the jjokbang counseling center explained that rents tend to be set at the level of housing benefits, he tilted his head and expressed doubt.
When an elderly woman said she could not receive basic livelihood support because she had a daughter, the president said, “I understand that support for recipients is now unrelated to dependents. I will look into the situation,” and instructed his staff to follow up. He also checked support options for a resident who said it was hard to endure summer without an air conditioner.
The president also met with officials from the jjokbang counseling center and thanked them for their efforts to support residents’ safety and welfare. Looking around vacant spaces left empty for demolition, he proposed using them as shared rest areas for residents.
Residents welcomed the president’s visit, saying, “This is the first time a president has come since this neighborhood was formed,” and “Thank you for coming all the way here.” When residents greeted him with “Stay healthy,” the president responded, “It is you, the mothers, who must stay healthy.”