Early Operation Begins Five Days Ahead of Last Year, Running for Five Months from May 15
Expansion of Shade Canopies, Smart Shelters, Cooling and Heating Benches
Monitoring Over 20,000 Vulnerable Households, Four Water Playgrounds Open in July, and Spring Water Warehouses in Operation
Seongdong-gu in Seoul (District Mayor Jung Wono) announced that it will launch a comprehensive heatwave response plan for the summer, implementing 29 projects across four areas to ensure the happiness and health of its residents.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration's "2024 Abnormal Climate Report," last summer's average temperature in South Korea was 25.6 degrees Celsius, the highest since weather observations began in 1937. The number of tropical nights also reached a record high of 20.2 days, which is 3.1 times the average.
Seongdong-gu also recorded the highest number of heatwave advisories and warnings in its history, with a total of 57 days (30 advisories and 27 warnings). This year, with the North Pacific high-pressure system expected to have a strong influence, forecasts predict a hotter summer than usual and an increase in the number of heatwave days.
In response, Seongdong-gu plans to fully mobilize its resources for heatwave countermeasures, establishing a situation management system, protecting vulnerable groups, operating heatwave mitigation facilities, and ensuring the safety of field workers. These measures will be implemented from May 15 to September 30, which is five days earlier than last year, and will be adjusted according to the level of crisis.
First, the district is operating a total of 587 "heatwave mitigation facilities" to minimize heatwave damage. Since April 21, 167 shade canopies have been installed and operated throughout the district to proactively prepare for the heat. In addition, there are 56 "Seongdong-type Smart Shelters," which are next-generation bus stops designed to protect transportation-vulnerable groups from heatwaves, fine dust, and cold waves.
The number of smart cooling and heating benches has been increased from 122 last year to 162 this year. These benches automatically activate their cooling function when the ambient temperature exceeds 30 degrees Celsius, maintaining the seat surface at 28 degrees Celsius. In addition, a total of 202 cooling shelters are in operation, including the Seongdong Bookmaru on the first floor of the district office, senior centers, community centers, and welfare facilities for the elderly.
The district will also provide safety checks and home visit health management services to minimize welfare blind spots during the summer, targeting more than 20,000 people, including around 3,000 heatwave-vulnerable individuals such as socially isolated single-person households and seniors living alone aged 65 or older.
Free water play facilities, such as the Salgotyi Water Playground and the Miso, Majang, and Haengdang Children's Dream Park water playgrounds, will open in July, allowing residents to escape the scorching heat. To mitigate the urban heat island effect during heatwaves, water spraying on 25 roads will be carried out two to three times daily.
To ensure the safety of outdoor workers, who are at high risk of heat-related illnesses, the district will operate a heatwave rest program that recommends stopping outdoor work during heatwave advisories. It will also run an online (SNS) communication channel to share real-time heatwave response updates and strengthen safety management.
The district will also operate eight "Seongdong Spring Water Warehouses," which provide bottled water to safety- and heatwave-vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and people with disabilities who are at risk of heat-related illnesses.
Jung Wono, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, "We are thoroughly preparing to ensure that all residents can enjoy a safe daily life during the summer heatwave. We will pay even closer attention to outdoor workers and residents in vulnerable housing, making every effort to ensure that everyone can spend the summer in comfort and good health."
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