SocietyHeatwave inequality leaves Seoul’s low-income neighbourhoods hardest hit

South Korea’s latest heatwave is exposing a sharp divide across Seoul. Some residents are able to run air conditioners with government subsidies, while homeless people have little option but to endure the heat. In cramped, low-income neighbourhoods, misting machines and water sprayed through alleys provide only limited relief as temperatures rise above 40°C. Downtown streets and cafés that were once busy are nearly empty, as workers and families head for streams and riverside pools seeking cooler air.