Oh Se-hoon Issues Urgent Orders by Phone While Abroad
City Focuses on Vulnerable Groups and Outdoor Workers
As Seoul experienced a record-breaking heatwave with daytime highs reaching 37.8 degrees Celsius, the city government convened an emergency countermeasure meeting to prevent and respond to potential damages.
On the morning of July 9 at 10:30 a.m., the Seoul Metropolitan Government held an 'Emergency Heatwave Countermeasure Status Inspection Meeting.' The meeting was attended by the First and Second Deputy Mayors for Administration, the Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs, and 12 directors of departments related to citizen safety, including the Directors of Disaster and Safety and Welfare.
At 10:30 a.m. on the 9th, the Emergency Heatwave Countermeasure Status Inspection Meeting was held at the Seoul City Hall Planning Situation Room, attended by 12 heads of institutions closely related to citizen safety, including the three deputy mayors of Seoul (Administration 1, Administration 2, Political Affairs), the Director of Disaster Safety, the Chief of Fire and Disaster Headquarters, the Director of Welfare, and the Director of Transportation. Provided by Seoul City
Mayor Oh, currently on an overseas business trip, was briefed on the heatwave situation in Seoul and issued an urgent directive to "activate extraordinary heatwave countermeasures with the highest priority on citizen safety." He specifically instructed city officials to "pay special attention to the elderly, residents of jjokbang (tiny room) communities, and households with persons with disabilities, who are particularly vulnerable to heatwaves, and to take extra care in implementing protective measures for outdoor workers."
The city announced that its top priority is to prevent casualties, focusing all efforts on on-site, tailored support for vulnerable groups. As of July 7, a total of 85 cases of heat-related illness had been reported in Seoul through the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's emergency surveillance system, with one fatality among them.
Regular welfare checks are being conducted by phone and in-person visits for 39,000 elderly residents vulnerable to heatwaves. When a heatwave advisory is issued, the frequency of these checks is increased to every other day or daily to ensure their safety. The city also plans to regularly inspect the operation of air conditioning systems at 3,751 cooling centers.
For approximately 3,100 elderly waste collectors who work outdoors even during summer, the city is distributing heatwave response supplies such as cooling sleeves and towels. The Seoul Volunteer Center is also providing cool kits and distributing heatwave prevention leaflets. In particular, a refrigerator will be installed at Tapgol Park, a popular gathering place for seniors, to provide 1,000 bottles of chilled Arisu water daily.
To protect the homeless, 52 'emergency rescue teams for extreme heat' will patrol areas with high concentrations of homeless individuals, such as Seoul Station, at least four times a day, offering connections to shelters and hospitals. Seven cooling centers and six nighttime cooling shelters for jjokbang residents will remain open through September.
For 389 low-income and housing-vulnerable households, the city has already provided emergency cooling supplies such as fans and cooling mats. From this month through next month, an additional 50,000 won per household will be provided to 389,000 basic livelihood recipient households to help cover cooling costs.
The city is also taking steps to protect construction workers, who are at high risk for heat-related illnesses. The Seoul Serious Accident Surveillance Team will promote the 'Five Basic Rules for Preventing Heat-Related Illnesses' at around 300 public and private construction sites in the city and will inspect compliance with these rules.
Six 'Hyu-Seoul' shelters and six temporary shelters have been prepared for mobile workers who work outdoors. Additionally, 100,000 bottles of water have been stocked and are being provided at 31 worker facilities throughout Seoul.
Furthermore, the city is coordinating with approximately 70 emergency room-operating hospitals and district health centers to ensure the rapid transport and treatment of heat-related patients by 119 emergency medical teams. Currently, 161 heatwave emergency ambulances and 119 pumpbulances are in operation.
The operation of water-spraying street cleaning vehicles, which help lower road surface temperatures, will be expanded from the usual one to two times per day in summer to up to eight times daily during ongoing heatwave advisories. To support these efforts, 1.24 billion won in disaster management funds will be urgently provided to the 25 districts of Seoul.
Notably, the city emphasized that, according to its analysis, cases of heat-related illness in Seoul occur more frequently in outdoor leisure spaces such as streets, sports fields, and parks than in workplaces, and more often among people in their 30s and 40s than among the elderly. The city therefore urged individuals to take special personal precautions.
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