Gwanak-gu has raised its heat response to the highest level after a major heat wave alert took effect, as the district recorded its hottest temperatures since meteorological observations began. District Mayor Park Jun-hee has ordered an all-out response to protect residents' safety.
Park convened an emergency response meeting Tuesday, reviewing each department's heat countermeasures and protection plans for vulnerable residents. "From this point on, we must shift from routine operations to a maximum-level emergency response that puts residents' lives and safety first," he said. "Until the heat wave passes, we need preemptive action — even if it seems excessive."
The district is stepping up safety management to protect heat-vulnerable groups — elderly people living alone, people with disabilities, homeless individuals and middle-aged single-person households — and to prevent heat-related illness. Neighborhood care teams and visiting nurses will check on residents' well-being, health conditions and cooling environments. For 2,491 heat-vulnerable households, the district will operate IoT smart plugs and a remote welfare-check service to detect warning signs early.
Cooling facilities for residents will also be kept in intensive operation. Staff will conduct frequent checks on air conditioner functionality and user complaints at 140 cooling shelters, while smart multipurpose rest areas will remain open until midnight. Heat-reduction facilities — including smart shade structures, cooling fog systems and air-dome outdoor cooling shelters known as "Haepiso" — will run at full capacity. Bottled water supplied by the Seoul Metropolitan Government will be distributed to cooling shelters, welfare centers and "Gangam-chan Saemmul" water refrigerators so residents can cool down and stay hydrated.
Park directed each dong office chief to personally inspect heat-vulnerable residential areas such as rooftop rooms and basement units, instructing them to "carefully check whether any household lacks even a fan." The 21 community service centers will verify whether vulnerable households have cooling appliances, confirm those appliances are working and check residents' health. Households in need will receive fans or other cooling items, or be connected to welfare services.
Safety management at outdoor worksites — including construction sites and public works projects — will also be tightened. The district has reminded each site of heat safety rules, including adjusting work hours and ensuring adequate rest breaks. Sites deemed unable to continue safely must halt work immediately, and supervisory departments will conduct ongoing compliance checks.
A medical surveillance system is in place to track heat illness cases in real time. Four hospitals with emergency rooms in the district will submit daily reports on heat illness patients to the district health center, which will forward the data to the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Health and Welfare and use the trends to guide the heat response.
The district will also use its website, SNS channels and electronic signboards to disseminate heat safety guidelines. Residents will be urged to avoid going outdoors or engaging in outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day, drink plenty of water and take regular rest breaks.
"Heat waves are a natural disaster directly linked to residents' lives," Park said. "We will ensure that heat-vulnerable households — including those in rooftop rooms and basement units — do not fall through the gaps in our administrative safety net, with a response centered on the field. Until the heat wave ends, all departments and related agencies will maintain a close-knit emergency system ready to act immediately."
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