Vulnerable residents of Gyeonggi Province finally get postal addresses

Gyeonggi Province has newly assigned addresses to a total of 27,297 low-income dwellings that previously did not have their own addresses, officials said Wednesday.

These mostly small, often single-room units located in 3,980 buildings are home to some of Gyeonggi Province's most financially vulnerable residents. The lack of addresses has made it difficult for the occupants to access essential government services, including public benefits, and causes inconveniences such as lost or returned mail.

The move to assign addresses follows the death of a woman in her 40s and her newborn baby in September last year in one such unaddressed home in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province.

Although the victim was entitled to welfare benefits, she was unable to receive them as the government office could not register an exact address for her residence.

“We will continue to work towards providing more comprehensive address details to prevent gaps in welfare coverage,” a Gyeonggi Province official said.