The district is pursuing a comprehensive 21-project heat wave plan across four areas from May 15 through Sept. 30, with a phased response system; a total of 607 community-level heat-reduction facilities — including cooling shelters, smart shelters, heated/cooled benches and shade canopies — are now in operation.
Seoul's Seongdong-gu district is rolling out a comprehensive heat wave plan spanning 21 projects across four areas to protect residents' lives and safety this summer.
The Korea Meteorological Administration has forecast that temperatures this summer will run above average, with more sweltering days than usual. In response, Seongdong-gu has designated the period through Sept. 30 as its official heat wave response season. The district is pursuing 21 projects across four areas — building a phased alert response system, protecting vulnerable populations, operating community-level heat-reduction facilities, and managing safety for outdoor workers — to minimize heat-related harm.
The district has established a tiered response framework that activates a situation-management task force, a comprehensive support operations center, and a disaster safety headquarters in sequence as heat wave advisories escalate. When a heat wave advisory or warning is issued, a 24-hour situation-management system will be activated. If mass casualties are feared, the disaster safety headquarters will stand up immediately to enable rapid on-site response.
Protection for heat-vulnerable residents is also being strengthened. Single-person households and elderly people living alone who face social isolation will receive intensive welfare check-ins and safety monitoring, while people with disabilities and chronic illnesses will be covered by a home-visit health management service.
Low-income households at risk from the heat will receive cooling supplies such as electric fans and summer blankets, and elderly residents in substandard housing will have access to designated heat-safe accommodations.
The district is also systematically operating community-level heat-reduction facilities so residents can escape the heat in their daily lives. Seongdong-gu currently runs 215 cooling shelters, 56 smart shelters and 164 heated/cooled benches, and has installed 172 shade canopies near crosswalks and traffic islands to improve the pedestrian environment.
When a heat wave warning is in effect, the Seongdong Chaengmaru reading lounge on the first floor of the district office will operate as a 24-hour cooling shelter, giving residents a safe place to escape the heat even at night.
The district also plans to upgrade aging air-conditioning units inside smart shelters and reinforce heat-blocking installations at entrances to improve cooling efficiency and user comfort.
Three outdoor water play areas — Salgoji Water Park and two facilities at the children's dream park — will also be open as summer retreats in the heart of the city, providing a safe and comfortable environment for children and families to cool off close to home.
To ease the urban heat island effect, the district will deploy water-spraying trucks to clean 25 major road routes, with the frequency of operations set to increase when a heat wave alert is in effect.
Safety management for outdoor workers is also being reinforced. Environmental sanitation workers, public employment participants, park maintenance staff and senior employment program participants will benefit from mandatory midday rest breaks and flexible working hours to ensure sufficient rest time, along with supplies such as bottled water and access to rest facilities.
At 101 redevelopment, reconstruction and general construction sites, the district will enforce work-hour adjustments, guaranteed rest periods and heat illness prevention education when heat wave alerts are issued. It will also use established communication channels with site managers to rapidly disseminate heat wave information and strengthen worker safety management.
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