Seoul's Gangbuk-gu district will stock the banks of Uicheon stream with free chilled water for 50 days — from July 13 to Aug. 31 — to protect residents from the peak summer heat, the district office announced.
The "Oasis Refrigerator" program, one of the district's flagship heat-wave measures, provides cold bottled water to residents visiting Uicheon stream to help prevent heat-related illness. The stations operate daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Water is restocked six times a day at two-hour intervals between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., covering the hours when foot traffic is heaviest. Residents can pick up a free bottle at three outdoor cooling shelters — below Jaeganjeong, below Beonchanggyo bridge and above Beolligyo bridge.
New this year, a QR-code-authenticated vending machine will be installed at the Beolligyo bridge shelter alongside the existing refrigerators. Residents scan a QR code displayed on the machine with their smartphone, receive a link containing a verification code and scan that code to dispense a bottle. The system limits each person to one bottle per day, allowing more residents to benefit from the program.
To keep the shelters safe and orderly, the district will station volunteer disaster-prevention team members as "refrigerator guardians" at each site. A total of 18 workers will rotate across three daily shifts, handling water inventory checks, distribution support and upkeep of the surrounding area. They will also assist residents who have difficulty using the new QR vending machine, helping ensure the pilot system runs smoothly in its first year of operation.
"I hope residents who visit Uicheon stream on hot summer days can cool off for a moment through the Oasis Refrigerator and enjoy a healthy summer," district mayor Jeong Chang-su said. "We will continue to do our best to respond to heat waves and protect the safety and health of our residents."
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