A severe heatwave has changed the currency of cool in Seoul's affluent district of Gangnam: access to air conditioning now defines the line between the haves and the have-nots. In exclusive Gangnam, south of the Han River, homes near the Guryong Village sell for up to 5.4 billion won ($3.7 million) and boast all cutting-edge mod-cons. "I'm keeping the air conditioning running full blast. But in Guryong Village, set among mounds of accumulated refuse, access to air conditioning -- or even a reliable supply of electricity -- is far from guaranteed. Not having access to air conditioning "puts their health into extremely grave, perhaps deadly danger" despite living in one of Asia's richest cities, he said.