District to run heat response system through Sept. 30, strengthening situation management and on-the-ground action; 102 cooling shelters and expanded shade structures to operate, with Gangbuk Oasis refrigerators also planned
Seoul's Gangbuk-gu will roll out its "2026 Comprehensive Heat Wave Countermeasures" through Sept. 30 to minimize harm to residents during the summer heat, the district announced.
With this summer's temperatures forecast to run above seasonal norms, the district said it will reinforce its heat situation management system and concentrate administrative resources on protecting vulnerable residents and operating heat-reduction facilities.
The comprehensive plan centers on five tasks: real-time heat situation management and response system operation; strengthened protection activities for heat-vulnerable groups; operation of heat-reduction facilities and enhanced safety management of vulnerable infrastructure; urban heat island mitigation activities and structural safety management; and public outreach on heat preparedness guidelines.
When a heat wave advisory is issued, the district will activate its Heat Wave Response Headquarters to rapidly disseminate alerts and monitor damage in real time.
The district will also put an emergency duty system into operation to respond to developing situations, while actively informing residents of heat safety guidelines.
Particular focus will go to protecting health-vulnerable groups, including elderly people living alone and those with chronic illnesses. A network of 848 disaster support workers — drawn from lifestyle support workers, visiting nurses and social welfare workers — will carry out welfare checks, health assessments and emergency first aid.
Outreach for homeless individuals will run in parallel. The district will conduct patrols centered on parks and subway stations, providing relief supplies such as bottled water, connecting people to shelter facilities and arranging hospital transport in emergencies.
Protections for outdoor workers will also be pursued. The district will recommend that public employment worksites and daycare centers adopt a midday heat rest policy, and will advise suspension or rescheduling of outdoor work from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. when a heat wave warning is in effect. Workers at those sites will also receive heat prevention supplies including ice vests, bottled water and ice packs.
The district is expanding the operation of community-level facilities to reduce heat damage. It will run 102 cooling shelters, extending operating hours at some locations to 9 p.m. when a heat wave advisory is in effect. Two smart shelters near Suyu Station and Mia Sageori Station will offer air conditioning, Wi-Fi and mobile phone charging services.
In addition, the district is operating 115 heat shade structures at high-traffic locations such as crosswalks and traffic islands, and plans to install 10 additional smart-type shade structures. Starting July 13, Gangbuk Oasis refrigerators will be set up along Uicheon stream near Jaeganjong, Beonchanggyo and Beolligyo to provide free bottled water to residents.
Efforts to ease the urban heat island effect will also be stepped up. The district plans to use water-cleaning vehicles to spray down major arterial roads and lower urban temperatures, while conducting safety inspections of gas supply facilities to prevent accidents.
"Heat waves are a representative summer disaster that threatens the health and safety of our residents, which makes proactive response more important than anything," district mayor Lee Sun-hee said. "We will do our utmost to strengthen protection for vulnerable groups and sharpen our on-the-ground response so that every resident can have a safe summer."
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