Seoul's vulnerable face cold

[Anchor]

There are people who feel this intense cold even more harshly.

Those who have been exposed to the biting cold and have spent a long and difficult day were met by reporter Kim Bo-dam.

[Report]

In the dark dawn before the sun rises, they set out for work, fully equipped with hats and gloves, but the biting wind brings tears to their eyes.

[Jung So-young/Seoul, Dongjak-gu: "My face is very cold. My ears too. I'm tearing up and my nose is running."]

The perceived temperature has dropped to nearly minus 20 degrees.

Environmental worker Choi Yong-yeol finds it hard to even hold his broom.

The temperature of the broom that the worker holds all morning is minus 12 degrees.

That's 2 degrees lower than the surrounding temperature.

While sweeping the streets and collecting trash without a break, his whole body is soaked in sweat, but his hands and feet are as cold as ice.

[Choi Yong-yeol/Environmental worker: "The coldness in my hands and feet is the biggest hardship. Even while working, on such a cold day, my hands and feet are freezing."]

People who have come to a free meal service.

They try to warm their frozen bodies with a hearty meal, but it only lasts for a moment.

They must seek out places like subway stations or underpasses to escape the cold.

[Free meal service user/voice altered: "Right now, my feet are so cold that I can't go out. I can't walk because my feet are completely frozen."]

The Cheonggye Tools Market, which suffered great damage from a fire.

They are trying to clean up the burned stores while warming their hands by the fire, but the cold wave feels relentless.

[Shin Geun-yong/Tool store employee: "It’s devastating. Losing our base was already hard, and now this cold weather isn't helping at all."]

With the strongest cold wave of this winter raising concerns about cold-related illnesses, the city of Seoul has activated its situation room and entered 24-hour emergency duty.

This is KBS News, Kim Bo-dam.