South Korea already operates about 93,000 public cooling shelters and aid programs such as the Energy Voucher. Yet this information often fails to reach elderly residents, who face the highest risk from extreme heat. The core problem is not a lack of resources, but a gap in how existing resources reach the people who need them.

Korea's heat-illness surveillance system recorded 3,089 cases and 26 deaths from May 15 to August 7. People 65 and older made up 35.1% of cases, and those 80 and older made up 13.3%. Most cases, 74.9%, happened outdoors, and 12.8%, the largest share, occurred between 6 and 10 a.m.

The Interior Ministry says the 93,000 cooling shelters are enough to meet infrastructure needs. However, a government inspection this year found about 1,700 problems, including wrong locations, missing signs, and unusable facilities.

Since shelter locations are checked mainly via the Anjeondidimdol app or online map searches, elderly residents who are unfamiliar with smartphones may have difficulty finding and using the shelters.

Financial support for cooling costs faces a similar problem. In addition to online and in-person applications, the Energy Voucher program allows officials to contact eligible residents directly and help them apply. Yet elderly Koreans' digital literacy level stands at 71.4% of that of the general public (National Information Society Agency, 2024), leaving them potentially underserved by a notification system built around texts and apps.

Last year, the number of Koreans aged 65 and older exceeded 10 million for the first time, marking the country's entry into a super-aged society. The infrastructure already exists. What remains is not more resources, but making sure existing information reaches those who need it most.

김효린 강남포스트 학생기자  webmaster@ignnews.kr

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