Seoul acting deputy mayor inspects heat wave measures at Donui-dong jjokbangchon

Jeong Sang-hun, acting first administrative deputy mayor of Seoul, visited the Donui-dong jjokbangchon ("cramped-housing district") in Jongno-gu on Monday to inspect the city's heat wave protection measures. The visit followed a special directive from Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who ordered officials to leave no gaps in protecting residents from heat-related casualties.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Jeong visited the Donui-dong jjokbang counseling center that afternoon to verify that cooling shelters and air-conditioning facilities were operating normally. The inspection aimed to confirm that heat wave measures were translating into tangible protection for residents and to hear directly from frontline workers and community members.

Jeong checked whether bottled water and cooling supplies were stocked at Ongi Changgo, a food pantry tailored to jjokbangchon residents, and examined the air-conditioning and shower facilities at the cooling shelters to ensure residents faced no inconvenience in using them.

He then walked through the alleyways of the district, meeting residents and listening to their concerns. He also checked the operating status of shared air conditioners and cooling-fog systems. The Seoul Metropolitan Government covers three months of summer electricity bills — up to 200,000 won ($136) per unit — and filter cleaning for 96 shared air conditioners in the Donui-dong district, and runs cooling-fog systems at five locations to lower the perceived temperature in the alleyways.

Jeong concluded his visit by touring the construction site of a new shared community facility for Donui-dong residents, reviewing progress and checking worker safety management. The facility, being built to support communication and self-sufficiency among jjokbangchon residents, will rise three above-ground floors with a total floor area of 166.11 square meters and is set to house the Ongi Changgo pantry and a self-sufficiency workshop, among other functions.

To help jjokbangchon residents escape the heat, the city operates seven daytime cooling shelters and six nighttime heat refuges across five jjokbangchon clusters — Donui-dong, Changshin-dong, Seoul Station, Namdaemun and Yeongdeungpo.

For all 210 shared air conditioners installed across the jjokbangchon districts, the city covers electricity bills of up to 200,000 won ($136) per month for three summer months, along with filter cleaning. Cooling-fog systems at 14 locations run flexibly between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. to reduce the perceived temperature.

The city has also formed special response teams — two teams of four people each — at each of the five jjokbangchon counseling centers. The teams patrol the districts twice daily, checking that shared air conditioners are running and reporting any emergencies.

Nurses at the counseling centers make regular home visits to elderly residents, people with chronic illnesses and others designated for special protection to monitor their health. The city also runs cultural programs at each counseling center — including movie screenings, health exercises and calligraphy classes — to help residents maintain their daily routines through the heat.

"We are pushing ahead with a range of heat wave measures for jjokbangchon residents," Jeong said. "With heat wave advisories continuing in recent days, we will keep listening to residents who are struggling in the extreme heat, conducting on-site inspections and running our heat wave response in a way that delivers real results."