Measures Fully Activated as Cases Surge
Jung-gu Supplies 600 Bottles of Water with ‘Oh! Bingo’ Installation
Seocho-gu’s ‘Seoripul Cooling Chair’ and ‘Siwoni’ Gain Popularity
Cooling Fog Cools Heat in Markets, Parks, and Shantytowns
As a heatwave advisory was issued, water sprinklers were activated to lower the road surface temperature. Provided by Jung-gu.
As heat-related illnesses surged nationwide due to this year’s intense heatwave, emergency measures were also triggered in Seoul’s autonomous districts. Each district office in Seoul has formed a heatwave response headquarters early on, striving to reduce casualties and property damage caused by the heatwave. With a sharp increase in damage cases after the monsoon season ended, full-scale countermeasures are being deployed.
The districts are increasing installations of bottled water refrigerators, smart shelters, and cooling shelters this summer, while mobilizing all possible efforts such as water spraying and cooling fog.
Jung-gu has installed free bottled water refrigerators named “Oh! Bingo” at places like Namdaemun jjokbang counseling center and Hwanghak Ssamtji Park, allowing any resident to use them. These refrigerators are replenished three times a day with a total of 600 bottles of water. Seongbuk-gu has also installed “bottled water sharing refrigerators” at 13 outdoor cooling shelters in parks and riversides, available to any passing residents. Gangnam-gu, with support from Coupang Eats service, is supplying bottled water to resting areas for mobile workers along Yeoksam-ro and Teheran-ro.
Smart shelters equipped with heating and cooling facilities at bus stops are playing a significant role in the scorching heat. Jung-gu has installed smart shelters with cooling facilities and other conveniences at 20 bus stops with heavy foot traffic, including Myeongdong Station, Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station, and Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station, providing relief from the heat. The smart shelter concept was first proposed by Seongdong-gu to protect public transit users from heatwaves and cold waves, and many other districts are now increasing their installations.
In terms of budget and speed, cooling chairs and circulators are also alternatives. Seocho-gu has increased the number of “Seoripul Cooling Chairs” at bus stops to 46 this summer, and for the first time this year, installed circulators (Seoripul Siwon-i) ? air circulation devices ? at village bus stops, receiving positive feedback.
While the above facilities are heatwave countermeasures for commuters, cooling shelters are essential facilities for the elderly and vulnerable groups during summer. Gwangjin-gu operates 92 cooling shelters, and Jung-gu has arranged safe lodging rooms through agreements with local accommodations. Gangbuk-gu extends the operating hours of cooling shelters until 9 p.m. when a heatwave warning is issued and converts pre-secured safe lodging (accommodations) into night shelters, operating from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day.
In Gangbuk-gu, where the elderly population ratio is high, 808 disaster helpers composed of elder caregivers, visiting nurses, social workers, voluntary disaster prevention teams, safety guards, and community leaders are in place to focus on protecting the lives of about 4,000 heatwave-vulnerable individuals, including elderly living alone and chronic patients.
Cooling fog plays a role in lowering heat in markets, parks, and jjokbang villages. Since last year, cooling fog has been operated in the alleys of Dongja-dong Yeoin-suk guesthouse and Onggi Warehouse, and this year it was installed on the outer walls of the Hoehyeon-dong jjokbang village. The cooling fog system works by finely spraying water that evaporates and lowers the surrounding temperature by about 3 to 5 degrees Celsius. It is also effective in places like Hagok Bon-dong Market and Sinjungbu Market, where indoor temperatures rise sharply due to densely packed stores under arcades.
Meanwhile, last year in South Korea, 2,818 people suffered from heat-related illnesses nationwide, and 32 deaths were reported due to the heatwave.
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