Homeless at Incheon Airport: Rights group urges halt to evictions, calls out state and local government failures

Homeless individuals at Incheon International Airport have been issued eviction notices, sparking a protest from the advocacy group 'Homeless Action'. The group held a press conference on Tuesday to demand a halt to the forced evictions and call for the protection of the rights of those affected.

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I am sorry for sleeping at the airport. (But) I came as a last resort because there was nowhere else to go.

One individual, identified as Lucia (pseudonym), expressed remorse for staying at the airport but stated it was a last resort due to a lack of other options. "If they don't want us at the airport, there must be other alternatives," Lucia said in a statement. "It's cooler here, and even if there's no food, it's warmer in winter. We have no choice but to come here because the outside is too harsh and difficult."

Homeless individuals are not only concerned about the eviction orders but also about the insufficient support system provided by the Incheon city government and the short eviction periods set by the Incheon International Airport Corporation. Another individual, Kim Hyung-cheol (pseudonym), noted that while local government officials and welfare center staff have visited, these interactions have been infrequent, and the provided temporary housing facilities are described as too poor to live in.

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If they don't want us at the airport, there must be other alternatives. It's cooler here, and even if there's no food, it's warmer in winter. We have no choice but to come here because the outside is too harsh and difficult.

'Homeless Action' asserted that the presence of homeless individuals at Incheon Airport is not a personal failing but a consequence of the state and local governments neglecting their duties. They urged for cooperation with relevant agencies to provide necessary temporary shelter and connect individuals with community support systems. The group criticized the practice of pushing homeless individuals out through evictions and crackdowns, arguing it merely shifts the problem elsewhere.

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(When news about homeless people came out) staff from the Jagyeong-gu district office and Incheon City came with a homeless self-sufficiency facility worker. But before the broadcast, the district office and Incheon City had never come to the airport. I saw the homeless self-sufficiency facility worker three times.

In response, the Incheon International Airport Corporation stated that it is requesting voluntary departures from homeless individuals in accordance with the Airport Facilities Act to ensure smooth airport operations and passenger safety. However, the lack of a comprehensive support center and temporary shelter facilities in Incheon city remains a significant concern highlighted by the advocacy group.

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The Incheon Airport homeless are not a result of individual deviation, but a consequence of the state and local governments' neglect of their duties.