The IMF is the abbreviation for the International Monetary Fund. For Koreans, however, ‘the IMF’ means a Korean version of the Great Depression that occurred in 1997. The Asian financial crisis produced many bad results, including the homeless problem. Of course there were homeless people before the crisis, but their number greatly increased during this period. This happened 10 years ago and the government and some organizations tried to help the homeless, but it still seems difficult to redeem them.
During the crisis, many people lost their jobs because companies went bankrupt. The crisis was a national event so the government couldn’t provide appropriate solutions at that time and made the situation even worse. According to ‘The Shock Doctrine’ written by Naomi Klein, the percentage of suicide increased by up to 50% and paupers increased by nearly 7 million in 1998. Hundreds of people, usually fathers, committed suicide and thousands of other people became homeless. These homeless people were different from the original homeless. They were relatively young and had skills but had nowhere to turn.
The only place the homeless can stay is in a shelter. There are 74 shelters in Seoul although other cities have less than 10. They are usually operated by religious organizations and give free breakfast and dinner to the homeless. The greatest advantage of being in the shelters is that the homeless can get a job soon. The official report says that 78% of the homeless in shelters got a job last year. It sounds like a sweet dream for the homeless; however, it is not the end of the story. They have to leave the shelter after breakfast, and can’t stay more than 40 days. In addition, they are not ready for social activities yet but the shelter doesn’t give them appropriate treatment; therefore most homeless people who get a temporary job lose their jobs again and return to the shelter.
What did the government do for the homeless? The solutions suggested by the government were unsuccessful because they were short-sighted. Right after the crisis, for example, the government launched some projects that provided jobs to the homeless, but failed because the financial support from the government wasn’t enough due to budget shortages. Moreover, the relief work for the homeless started just after the crisis so there was no legal basis. Thus, the homeless were not included in the social welfare programs by 2005 although they are the primary group that has to be protected.
Nevertheless, we can’t just blame the government. We also have to change. I know that people don’t want to help the homeless because there are many beggars in the subway who pretend to be blind and really see well enough to play cards. I feel disgusted with them, too. However, we have to recognize that they are just a small part of the homeless. Most of them were normal people like us. Homeless people seek our help so the whole country needs to be generous with them and raise our voices for them.
Posted by 에쵸코알
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