Ministry of Health and Welfare unveils 2026 summer protection plan for vulnerable groups, strengthening safeguards for at-risk seniors and residents of low-income housing

President Lee Jae Myung visits the Donui-dong low-income housing district in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on May 21 to inspect preparations for summer heavy rains and heat waves. [Cheong Wa Dae]
President Lee Jae Myung visits the Donui-dong low-income housing district in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on May 21 to inspect preparations for summer heavy rains and heat waves. [Cheong Wa Dae]

With peak summer heat and seasonal heavy rains approaching, the government is rolling out a comprehensive support package for vulnerable groups — covering risk prevention, tailored cooling assistance and facility safety upgrades.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced Wednesday it would implement the "2026 Summer Protection Plan for Vulnerable Groups" in coordination with related ministries, aiming to proactively identify and provide robust support to those most at risk from heat waves and heavy rains.

Particularly notable this year is the introduction, effective June 1, of a new top-tier "extreme heat major alert" at the apex of the heat warning system. Under the plan, welfare checks on vulnerable groups will be conducted more frequently as alert levels rise, with needed services connected more quickly.

When a heat wave alert or other disaster situation is declared, the government will use not only emergency broadcasts and text messages but also the Safety Stepping Stone app, smart village broadcast systems and drones to rapidly disseminate summer safety information and heat wave response guidelines.

Families who register a parent's residential area through the Safety Stepping Stone app will receive disaster alerts for that area, allowing them to check on their relatives directly. In rural and fishing communities, smart village broadcast systems will repeat heat wave safety guidelines, and the government will expand early on-site inspections using drones during heat waves in cooperation with local authorities.

Welfare checks to increase when extreme heat major alert is issued

When an extreme heat major alert is declared, the frequency and methods of welfare checks on heat-vulnerable groups — including at-risk seniors, seniors with dementia, those at high risk of dying alone, homeless people and residents of low-income housing districts — will be significantly strengthened.

For high-risk elderly people who have difficulty moving around or who work outdoors in rural and fishing areas, welfare checks will increase from once daily during a standard heat wave advisory or warning to twice daily — by phone or in person — when an extreme heat major alert is in effect.

Those at high risk of dying alone will be checked every two days by phone, text or in-person visit through community safety networks, including honorary social welfare civil servants.

Protections for homeless people on the streets will also be strengthened. Patrols will be conducted three times daily during a heat wave advisory or warning, and additional safety checks targeting high-risk individuals such as the elderly will be added on top of regular patrols when an extreme heat major alert is issued.

For residents of low-income housing districts, welfare checks on high-risk individuals — including the elderly, people with disabilities and those with underlying health conditions — will increase from once every two days during a heat wave advisory or warning to once daily when an extreme heat major alert is declared.

In addition, when an extreme heat major alert is issued, KakaoTalk messages alerting them to weather conditions and heat wave safety guidelines will be sent promptly to the 1.01 million seniors with dementia and their families registered with dementia care centers, helping them respond more quickly to summer risks such as missing persons incidents and heat-related illness.

Of the 72,000 dementia patients receiving tailored case management, approximately 7,000 seniors identified as particularly vulnerable to heat — based on factors such as household composition and severity of condition — will receive daily welfare checks, with stronger links to community resources.

Senior employment activity hours cut; outdoor work halted when alert issued

The government will protect the health of participants in senior and disability employment programs who work outdoors during the hot summer months.

For senior employment programs, monthly activity hours will be cut from an average of 30 hours to 15 hours through the end of September. When an extreme heat major alert is issued, all outdoor activities will be suspended immediately — participants will be sent home or shifted to air-conditioned indoor activities — and the health of every participant will be checked at once.

For participants in disability employment programs, start and end times within working hours will be adjusted during heat waves and heavy rains, and worksites may be moved indoors.

The government will also ensure meals and care services continue uninterrupted through the summer. The number of days meals are provided at senior centers will be gradually expanded to five days a week, with each center receiving grain cost support — 12 bags per year — to help achieve this.

During the summer school break, when school meals are unavailable, the government will identify children at risk of going hungry through more than 5,600 community care facilities nationwide and provide support to ensure they receive nutritious food.

In addition, 343 of those community care facilities will offer extended evening care to minimize gaps in overnight supervision for children left home alone late at night.

Tailored support for cooling costs, appliances and supplies

The government will ease the summer financial burden on vulnerable groups by providing cooling cost subsidies, energy vouchers, and cooling appliances and supplies.

During the July-August heat wave period, senior centers nationwide will receive 165,000 won (about $119) per month in cooling cost support, while social welfare facilities will receive between 100,000 and 500,000 won per month depending on facility type and size.

Energy-vulnerable groups, including basic livelihood recipients, will receive energy vouchers along with outreach energy welfare services and support for air conditioner installation and replacement.

Cooling shelters and emergency sleeping facilities will be operated near areas with high concentrations of homeless people and near low-income housing districts, and cooling supplies — including ice water, cooling mats and cooling arm sleeves — will be distributed. Residents of low-income housing districts will also receive demand-tailored cooling appliances such as air conditioners or electric fans.

Visitors to "Just Take It" corners — a nationwide food safety net open to all — will be offered ice water to help prevent heat-related illness during the summer.

To prevent damage from natural disasters and heat waves, the government will inspect the disaster preparedness and facility safety status of approximately 25,000 social welfare facilities ahead of the summer season and support renovation and repair work at residential facilities for people with disabilities and for homeless people. Drainage blockages and other hazards in flood-prone low-income housing areas will also be cleared in preparation for heavy rains and typhoons.

Health and Welfare Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong said summer disasters affect everyone, but their dangers arrive sooner and hit harder for vulnerable groups. "The ministry will put the lives and safety of the people first — proactively finding those in need, checking on them frequently and providing robust support so that everyone can have a safe and healthy summer," she said.


thlee@heraldcorp.com