Gochang County Operates "Conscience Refrigerators" at Eight Key Locations

"Preventing Heat-Related Illnesses and Minimizing Heatwave Damage"

Since July 2, Gochang County in North Jeolla Province has installed and is operating "Conscience Refrigerators" at eight major locations throughout the county to respond to the heatwave.

According to the county on July 4, the Conscience Refrigerators have been set up to prevent heat-related illnesses among residents and to minimize heatwave damage during the summer when heatwave advisories persist. Anyone, including people engaged in outdoor activities or pedestrians, can use the refrigerators to take one bottle of water per person free of charge.

Gochang County has installed and is operating "Conscience Refrigerators" at eight major locations within the county since the 2nd to respond to the heatwave. Photo by Gochang County

The eight locations where the refrigerators are currently operating are: in front of Sin Jae-hyo Pansori Park, in front of Gochang-Buan Livestock Cooperative, in front of Gochang Orthopedic and Neurosurgery Clinic, in front of Seokjeong Wellpark Hospital, at the customer convenience facility of Gochang Traditional Market, in front of Gochang County Office, at Gochang Eupseong Station, and at Gochang Temporary Terminal.

Previously, last summer, the county operated the "Conscience Refrigerator Bottled Water Support Project" at six locations and provided a total of 42,900 bottles of water, receiving a positive response from local residents.

This year, each Conscience Refrigerator is stocked daily with about 240 bottles of 500ml water, and the water is replenished every day at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The county is also considering additional installation sites in areas with high accessibility and heavy pedestrian traffic, aiming to further strengthen its response to the heatwave.

In addition to the Conscience Refrigerators, the county is implementing various other heatwave countermeasures. These include operating 40 shaded rest areas, running 607 cooling shelters (open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.), providing bottled water to vulnerable groups such as elderly people living alone and people with disabilities, and deploying water-spraying vehicles in 14 towns and villages.

Shim Deokseop, the county governor, stated, "With the heatwave arriving earlier than in previous years, we will take proactive measures to prevent heat-related illnesses and protect the health of our residents," and added, "We will actively support our residents so that they can quench their thirst, stay safe, and remain healthy during the hot weather."