To the Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City

Dear Mayor, I am a high school student residing in Korea. With the goal of studying international studies in the future, I have taken an interest in international politics and the workings of international organizations. Through this interest in similar problems of inequality between nations, I came to realize that a similar structure operates in our own community as well, and this is why I am submitting this petition.

Heatwaves caused by climate change are a threat shared by all of humanity, regardless of nation or race. However, the resulting harm does not fall on everyone equally. The heatwave experienced by a person living in a home with proper cooling can never carry the same weight as the heatwave experienced by a person who must get through the summer in an aging house with no cooling system at all. This problem is particularly pronounced in Jung-gu, Incheon, within Korea. Jung-gu's proportion of residents aged 65 and older, at 16.4%, is similar to the Incheon average. However, according to Incheon Metropolitan City's regional statistics, the proportion of single-person households among elderly households in Jung-gu is 40.4%, placing it among the highest of Incheon's ten districts and counties. In other words, this means Jung-gu is a district where an unusually high proportion of elderly residents live alone, without anyone nearby to care for them. In fact, single-person households make up approximately 49% of all households in Jung-gu. According to an analysis by The Incheon Institute, socioeconomic vulnerability to heatwaves among Incheon's heatwave risk factors is relatively high in areas such as Jung-gu. This analysis attributes the vulnerability less to physical conditions than to this single-person household structure. Data from the heatwave-vulnerable population analysis by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport likewise points out that heatwaves are especially fatal for elderly people living alone and low-income households, and that blind spots with limited access to cooling shelters and medical facilities still remain widespread. In the end, the heatwave problem in Jung-gu is not simply a matter of climate, but a clear structural social problem created by demographic composition and housing conditions.

To address this, I ask that a monitoring system for vulnerable households be established in cooperation with delivery riders and courier workers. The alleyways of aging housing areas are already traveled by delivery motorcycles and courier vans several times a day. By making use of this, location information could be shared with these workers — without any additional personnel or budget — so that if signs of trouble are noticed, they could report this to the community service center. I also ask that a volunteer-based cool roof program be carried out, applying light-colored coating to the rooftops of aging houses to reduce the absorption of solar radiant heat. If volunteer work from local art students or local artists is used to support the application of the reflective coating in the form of murals, low-income households could lower their indoor temperatures without bearing the cost of construction, while also achieving the effect of improving the appearance of the old town center.

If these two measures are carried out, I believe a meaningful safety net could be established for vulnerable households in aging housing areas without a large budget. The international community has discussed the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" regarding the burden of addressing climate change. I believe this principle should apply not only between nations, but also between the old town center and newer developments within a single city. I hope this kind of fairness can begin to be realized here in Jung-gu, and I thank you for taking the time to read this petition despite your busy schedule.