KT Corp opens 410 stores nationwide as heat-relief shelters

KT Corp announced Friday that it is operating 410 of its stores nationwide as heat-relief shelters to help residents stay safe during the ongoing heat wave.

By region, 213 Seoul locations are designated "climate companion shelters," 127 Busan stores operate as "neighborhood climate shelters," and 70 Daejeon outlets serve as "cold snap and heat-wave shelters." All are intended to protect public health and safety by providing rest and refuge spaces for residents.

Heat-relief shelters are official facilities designated under the government's heat-wave response framework, offering temporary cooling spaces to prevent heat-related illness during summer. Rather than building dedicated new facilities, KT Corp is repurposing its existing stores — already part of residents' daily routes — as cooling refuges.

Conventional heat-relief shelters have largely been concentrated in public and welfare facilities such as senior centers and community service centers, limiting their reach in commercial districts and among younger residents and office workers.

By using centrally located KT Corp stores, the initiative makes cooling spaces easily accessible to anyone near commercial areas or everyday commuting routes, broadening both the geographic reach and the range of people the shelter network serves.

KT Corp is offering stores with strong foot traffic as shelters and has posted official shelter certification plaques from each local government at store entrances so residents can identify them at a glance.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior and Safety is managing more than 93,000 heat-relief shelters across the country this summer. Under the government's heat-wave disaster crisis management manual and a pan-government joint response plan, central and local authorities designate both public and private facilities as shelters with accessibility in mind, and any resident may use them free of charge.