Dongdaemun-gu District Mayor Choi Dong-min made back-to-back field visits Friday, conducting welfare checks on heat-vulnerable residents and serving samgyetang — a traditional Korean chicken and ginseng soup — to elderly locals, as the district braces for the peak of summer.
Early that morning, Choi visited households of heat-vulnerable residents in Hwigyeong 1-dong to assess their living conditions. He personally checked whether air conditioners were in operation, confirmed that emergency welfare contact networks with the neighborhood community center were in place, and listened to residents' concerns about summer living conditions.
"As extreme heat intensifies due to climate change, advance preparation is more important than anything," Choi said. "We will manage vulnerable residents without any gaps, maintain a rapid communication system, and do our utmost to protect the lives and property of our residents."
After completing the welfare rounds, Choi attended the "2026 Yongdu-dong Healthy Summer Samgyetang Event" at Gwangseok Church in Yongdu-dong, where he joined residents in a spirit of community. The event was organized to help low-income elderly residents — many of whom struggle to maintain their health — build up their strength during the summer heat, with abalone samgyetang prepared for the occasion.
Organized by the Yongdu-dong Hope Welfare Committee, chaired by Lee Jae-gi, the event was held to mark the first of the three hottest days of the lunar calendar. About 170 people attended in total, including 120 low-income elderly residents and volunteers.
Attendees enjoyed a pre-meal performance by singer Park Seon-ok before sitting down to abalone samgyetang, seasonal fruit and rice cakes to replenish their energy for the summer. Choi joined the serving line, personally checking in on each elderly guest's health and well-being.
Dongdaemun-gu has designated the period from May 15 through Sept. 30 as its summer heat wave response period and is operating a dedicated heat wave emergency operations center. The district has rolled out a broad range of preemptive measures, including tiered emergency staffing tied to weather alerts, installation and operation of heat-reduction facilities, safety management for outdoor workers, health monitoring and supply distribution for homeless individuals and elderly people living alone, and water-spraying operations on major roads.
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
