SEOUL: South Korea’s Incheon Airport has begun ordering people experiencing homelessness to leave the airport, in a move that has drawn criticism from homeless rights advocates.
According to Homeless Action, a homeless rights advocacy group, Incheon International Airport, the airport operator, on July 30, attached eviction notices to the belongings of people staying at the airport and ordered them to leave the passenger terminals.
The notices instructed them to “immediately stop sleeping rough and leave the passenger terminal”. It further warned that those who refuse could face fines, detention or other penalties under the Airport Facilities Act.
It was not immediately clear how many people received the notices or how many people are currently staying at the airport. Previous media reports put the number at more than 200 during the ongoing heatwave, a sharp increase from a few dozen before.
Homeless Action said some people who felt pressured by the eviction order have since received emergency housing assistance through the group, but the group did not provide a specific number.
The eviction order follows increased media attention on homelessness at the airport, including reports focusing on complaints from passengers and cleaning workers over hygiene and disruptive behaviour.
Joo Jang-wook, a senior activist with Homeless Action, called on both the airport operator and Incheon city authorities to change their approach and address the needs of vulnerable people rather than simply evicting them.
“Incheon International Airport Corp. should halt the hastily implemented eviction measure and fulfill its responsibilities as a public institution,” Joo told local media.
“Incheon City, which has effectively neglected establishing a support system for people experiencing street homelessness, should also begin building such a system.”
According to the city, 136 people were living on the streets as of December 2025, little changed from 139 in 2013, when the city adopted an ordinance aimed at supporting the welfare and self-reliance of people experiencing homelessness. - The Korea Herald/ANN
