20 locations open Wednesday, including near GTX-A Unjeong Central Station
The city of Paju is launching outdoor refrigerators stocked with bottled water starting Wednesday to get ahead of the summer heat wave season and prevent heat-related illness among residents.
The program, called "Hanmokkeum Shelter" — or "one-sip rest stop" — places outdoor water fridges near subway stations, high-traffic residential areas and locations frequented by people most vulnerable to extreme heat, giving residents a place to cool down and quench their thirst while on the move.
Paju expanded the program from 13 locations last year to 20 this year by adding seven new sites, and moved the launch date earlier to Wednesday to strengthen its heat response.
Key installation sites include areas near GTX-A Unjeong Central Station and Geumchon Station, Unjeong Lake Park, Geumchon Tongil Market and Gwangtan Nonghyup. The locations were chosen based on public accessibility, foot traffic and the likelihood of use by heat-vulnerable groups.
The stations are open to all residents, with a limit of one bottle per person to ensure wider access. The city plans to restock each station three times a day at 200 bottles per refill, for a maximum of 12,000 bottles daily across all 20 locations.
The city will also conduct regular inspections of the fridges' interior and exterior cleanliness and water storage conditions, and will adjust restocking frequency and volume based on usage and weather.
"Heat waves are a disaster that directly affects the health and safety of residents, so we will actively pursue measures that people can feel in their daily lives," Paju Mayor Son Bae-chan said. "Through thorough on-site inspections and hygiene management, we will make sure every resident can use the Hanmokkeum Shelter safely and conveniently."
Alongside the water fridge program, Paju plans to pursue a range of heat-response policies — including operating cooling centers, expanding heat-reduction facilities, managing the health of heat-vulnerable groups and protecting outdoor workers — with the goal of minimizing casualties from extreme heat.
pjh@heraldcorp.com
