Yongsan-gu Provides Bottled Water and Cooling Shelters for Mobile Workers During Heatwave

On August 20, Yongsan-gu in Seoul (District Mayor Park Heeyoung) announced that it is promoting a "Bottled Water Sharing Campaign" and the expansion of "Cooling Shelters" to protect mobile workers, such as delivery and courier drivers, from the summer heatwave.

The "Take Breaks While Delivering" campaign scene. Provided by Yongsan-gu.

The district is providing cold bottled water and rest areas to help mobile workers prevent exhaustion and heatstroke caused by the heatwave.

Since June, the "Mobile Workers Bottled Water Sharing Joint Task Force," in collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Metropolitan Meteorological Administration, and the Seoul Labor Center Council, has received sponsorship of about 2,200 bottles of water from Jeju Samdasoo to carry out the campaign. The water is distributed through local delivery companies and cafes, and iceboxes have been placed both inside and outside the Workers’ Comprehensive Support Center (30 Wonhyo-ro 97-gil) so that workers can easily access cold bottled water.

Additionally, since last month, the center’s training room has been newly opened as a cooling shelter, equipped with cooling sheets to provide a comfortable space where workers can cool off and rest. The cooling shelter operates on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until September, and during heatwave advisories, the hours are extended to 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and public holidays.

Park Heeyoung, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, emphasized, “A single bottle of cold water can be a great source of strength for mobile workers who work tirelessly in the heatwave,” and added, “We will continue to promote various policies to improve the safety and welfare of workers.”

Meanwhile, on August 8, the Seoul Western District Office of the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency sponsored 1,000 bottles of water to the center and conducted the "Take Breaks While Delivering" safety campaign. In addition, Yongsan-gu operates a separate "Mobile Workers’ Rest Area" on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to support workers’ rest, apart from the cooling shelters.