More homeless people are coming to Incheon International Airport, where air conditioning runs 24 hours a day to escape the heat wave. Some are piling belongings on traveler carts or occupying passenger seats for long periods. In effect, Incheon Airport has become a "24-hour summer refuge" from the heat.
But as passenger complaints continue over odors and long-term seat occupation, Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) has begun guiding homeless people to leave. Some say homeless activity should be restricted for airport order and passenger convenience, while others argue that simply pushing those with nowhere to go outside in a heat wave cannot be a fundamental solution.
According to the aviation industry on the 10th, homeless people have recently been spotted throughout Incheon Airport staying in the terminals for long periods to escape the sweltering heat.
One traveler said, "After exiting the arrival gate, I tried to use the restroom but couldn't go in because of the strong smell coming from a homeless person near the entrance." Another traveler said, "The first place foreigners encounter when they arrive in Korea is the airport, and I was worried it might leave a bad impression."
◇ Homeless people converge on Incheon Airport… a "24-hour refuge" in the heat wave
The biggest reason homeless people choose Incheon Airport is the heat wave. Incheon Airport operates 24 hours a day with continuous air conditioning, allowing people to avoid the heat not only at midday but also during tropical nights. They can use conveniences such as restrooms and seats, and the ability to travel directly from Seoul Station on the airport railroad improves access.
Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) guides homeless people staying at the airport to shelters or welfare facilities, but it is said that many long-term homeless people refuse counseling or facility admission.
Recently, the corporation has been attaching eviction notices to homeless people's belongings and demanding they move. The notice orders them to stop homeless activity in the airport and move outside the terminal, and warns of possible penalties under the Airport Facilities Act if they do not comply.
In response, the homeless rights group Homeless Action said, "Driving homeless people out of public spaces shifts the problem elsewhere," and called for the eviction measures to stop. The group plans to hold a press conference in front of Incheon Airport on the 12th.
◇ "Evict them and it's a heat wave, let them stay and there are complaints"… the airport's dilemma
The airport corporation also says it is difficult to unconditionally send homeless people outside. Eviction is necessary when considering passenger convenience and airport order, but in a heat wave, sending them out could lead to safety incidents such as heat-related illnesses.
An Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) official said, "Active eviction is necessary when considering the airport's image and passenger convenience, and there is a basis under the Airport Facilities Act," but added, "If an accident occurs due to the heat after eviction, questions of responsibility could arise, so we are wary of forcible execution."
For now, the eviction notice functions more as guidance than as an actual forced eviction. A corporation official said, "In practical terms, requesting people to move is the most the corporation can do."
◇ Airport order or heat-wave safety… a government-level solution is needed
Local governments in charge of protecting homeless people also recommend on site that they enter shelters and temporary accommodations, but they say there are limits to persuasion in the case of long-term homelessness.
An official at the Yeongjong District Office's livelihood security division said, "Short-term homeless people are relatively cooperative with guidance on welfare services, but long-term homeless people sometimes refuse interviews altogether, making guidance difficult."
In the end, some say the issue at Incheon Airport is difficult to solve with facility management by the airport corporation alone. That is because it involves not only airport order and passenger convenience but also homeless welfare and heat-wave safety.
An aviation industry official said, "It's hard to resolve if only Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) is tasked with the response," adding, "There is a need for the government to set principles that consider protection for homeless people, safety for those vulnerable to heat waves, and airport order together."