Survey finds 855 homeless on Seoul's streets

By Kim Da-hee

A survey has counted 855 homeless people on the streets of Seoul while 4,465 had entered facilities for the homeless.

Seoul Metropolitan Government’s survey of the city’s homeless showed that the weather highly influenced the number. The figure rose to about 1,000 in summer while dropping to 500 in winter.

About 70 percent of the homeless were crowded around central Seoul, mostly staying in Jung-gu, Jongno-gu, Yongsan-gu and Yeongdeungpo-gu. Seoul Station, Yeongdeungpo Station and Yongsan Station, which connect railways and subway line 1, are in the four districts.

The survey showed that 30 percent of respondents chose their shelter because free food distributors were nearby, while 21 percent cited the proximity of places where they could find work.