iM Bank opens all branches nationwide as heat-relief shelters

iM Bank announced Tuesday that it will open all of its branches nationwide as free heat-relief shelters through the end of September.

Anyone can visit a nearby iM Bank branch to cool off, regardless of whether they have banking business to conduct.

iM Bank has operated heat-relief shelters every summer since signing an agreement with Daegu in 2013, providing a refuge for those vulnerable to extreme heat.

"We hope iM Bank's heat-relief shelters — not only in Daegu, which is nicknamed 'Daeprica' for its scorching summers, but across the country — can serve as a cool resting place where people can briefly escape the heat," a bank official said.