Seoul's Songpa-gu said it will expand its "Chak!han Box" program to 500 boxes this year — 100 more than last year — to help vulnerable residents stay healthy through the summer heat.
The expansion was made possible by a 10 million won ($61,300) increase in funding from the Seoul Community Chest of Korea, allowing more low-income households to receive supplies ahead of the hottest months.
Songpa-gu will receive a total of 90 million won from the Seoul Community Chest this year to fund its welfare support programs. Of that, 40 million won will go toward the "Ansim Line Protection Project," which covers basic living costs for low-income residents, while 50 million won will be used to produce Chak!han Boxes for low-income families vulnerable to extreme heat.
The campaign, themed "2026 Hope Summer Sharing Campaign — A Healthy Summer With Songpa-gu's Chak!han Box," will be held Wednesday at the main auditorium of Songpa-gu Office in partnership with the Seoul Community Chest.
The campaign was organized to help vulnerable residents cope with increasingly severe heat waves driven by climate change and to foster a culture of community sharing through resident participation. It is part of the nationwide "Hope Summer Sharing Campaign" run by the Community Chest of Korea.
About 100 participants — including members of the Songpa-gu Community Social Security Council, neighborhood welfare committee members and representatives from related organizations — will assemble the 500 boxes by hand. Each box contains items worth about 90,000 won per household, including a summer bedding set and health-food meal kits chosen for their high demand, to help recipients stay healthy through the summer.
The completed boxes will be delivered in stages to low-income households vulnerable to extreme heat through 27 neighborhood community centers and six general social welfare centers across the district.
Songpa-gu has also been providing ongoing support to vulnerable residents ahead of summer climate risks including heat waves and heavy rain. Recently, the district supplied household dehumidifiers worth about 290,000 won each to 210 low-income households living in moisture-prone conditions, such as semi-basement units and rooftop rooms.
"The role of local government is to look after the socially vulnerable first, especially in the face of climate crises like extreme heat," District Mayor Seo Gang-seok said. "We will strengthen our care network and fiscal support for vulnerable residents, and work with our community to build an inclusive Songpa — a city of warmth built together with its people."
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