"Heat Wave Is a Disaster"... District Chief Park Heeyoung Sweats to Ensure Residents' Safety

Park Heeyoung Focuses on Strengthening Disaster Response Infrastructure
"The Answer Is on Site"... Inspects Water Playgrounds and Heat Wave Response Facilities

"A heat wave is not just a natural phenomenon, it is a disaster. I will make sure to take care of even the smallest details so that residents can spend the summer safely."

As temperatures soared above 35 degrees Celsius for several consecutive days, the head of Yongsan District personally took to the streets. On the afternoon of July 28, district chief Park Heeyoung, dressed in civil defense attire, visited the Hyochang Park water playground just two days before its opening. She was there to conduct a safety inspection of the facilities ahead of the opening.

Ahead of the opening of the Hyochang Park Water Playground, Park Heeyoung, mayor of Yongsan District (right), visited the site on the 28th to inspect the facilities. Provided by Yongsan District Office.

The water playgrounds at Hyochang Park and Eungbong Park, which open for about two weeks around this time every year, are popular summer destinations for young children and elementary school students. Residents can enjoy water play facilities such as air pools, air slides, fountain tunnels, and water baskets free of charge as a way to beat the heat.

"The rubber tubes exposed to direct sunlight are too hot. Please increase the number of shade canopies and keep spraying water so that children do not get burned. Also, make sure the seams of the mats are firmly secured so children do not trip and fall." At the site, Park Heeyoung touched the rubber tubes of the water play facilities and carefully stepped on the mats laid on the ground, repeatedly urging the responsible civil servants and facility installation managers to pay close attention to these details.

Park Heeyoung said, "I wanted to install container-type rest areas with good air conditioning to prevent heat-related illnesses, but due to the conditions at Hyochang Park, large vehicles cannot enter the site. Instead, we installed tent-type rest areas (Air Cool Zones) with ventilation systems." She added, "No amount of attention and inspection is too much when it comes to safety management." After inspecting the bottled water refrigerator installed at Hyochang Park, she met with park managers and workers, urging them, "Please strictly follow the safety rules and the heat wave response manual, and make sure to take sufficient breaks so you do not suffer from the heat."

At the Hyochang No. 1 Senior Citizens' Center heat shelter, which she visited next, Park Heeyoung met with local seniors and explained, "If the heat at night becomes unbearable when the senior center and public offices are closed, you can contact the district office duty room or call 119, and we will guide you to a hotel." She introduced the accommodation facilities contracted by the district office.

The next stops for Park Heeyoung were the smart shade canopy, the Two-Season Shelter (cool and warm lounge), and the bottled water vending machine in front of the Kkum Namu General Town bus stop, which was formerly the Yongsan District Office. This summer, Yongsan District is operating four types of community-based heat wave response facilities: smart shade canopies, cooling fog systems, Two-Season Shelters, and bottled water vending machines. The district has added 21 more smart shade canopies at crosswalks to block direct sunlight, and has newly installed Two-Season Shelters and bottled water vending machines.

The Two-Season Shelter is a compact smart shelter equipped with both air conditioning and heating, providing protection from summer heat waves, winter cold snaps, and spring yellow dust winds. It is a model first introduced by Yongsan District. It can be installed at one-tenth the cost of widely used smart shelters, reducing the budget burden, and its small size allows installation even at bus stops with narrow sidewalks, increasing its potential use. Next to the Two-Season Shelter, a bottled water vending machine has been installed to provide 600 bottles of water per day free of charge from each machine.

Park Heeyoung also immediately instructed Kim Jinbae, head of the Safety and Disaster Division, who accompanied her, to improve the facilities based on suggestions from residents she met on site. Park Heeyoung stated, "As heat waves become increasingly severe due to the climate crisis, protecting the lives and health of district residents is our most important responsibility." She added, "We will strengthen our disaster response infrastructure and focus all our capabilities to ensure that every resident can spend the summer with peace of mind."

Park Heeyoung, mayor of Yongsan District, who visited the Two Seasons Shelter in front of the Kkumnamu Complex Town bus stop, is giving instructions on the improvement points conveyed by residents to the head of the Safety and Disaster Department of the district office. Provided by Yongsan District.