Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon hands out bottled Arisu water to elderly visitors at Tapgol Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon hands out bottled Arisu water to elderly visitors at Tapgol Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, while on vacation, visited the Unni Senior Center and Tapgol Park in Jongno-gu to inspect heat-relief shelters and Arisu sharing refrigerators as an intense heat wave gripped the city, focusing on areas where elderly residents — among the most vulnerable to extreme heat — tend to congregate.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday that Oh visited the Unni Senior Center on Wednesday to check the cooling systems at its heat-relief shelter and assess conditions for users, speaking with elderly visitors about their health and any difficulties they were experiencing.

He then moved to Tapgol Park, where he inspected sharing refrigerators stocked with chilled bottled Arisu water for elderly visitors and a welfare information center on site. The city is providing 1,000 350-milliliter bottles of Arisu daily at Tapgol Park through Sept. 18.

At the welfare information center, Oh reviewed welfare counseling for older residents and support efforts to prevent heat-related harm. The center provides guidance on free meals and welfare programs, offers financial welfare consultations, and checks on the well-being and health of elderly residents in the surrounding area who are vulnerable to extreme heat.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is operating 3,033 locations — including senior centers and welfare facilities — as heat-relief shelters for the elderly through the end of September. When a heat wave advisory is issued, the city activates extended shelter hours and offers elderly residents without air conditioning or living in poor housing conditions safe accommodation at nearby lodging facilities.

"Extreme heat is a disaster that can threaten the health and lives of vulnerable people, including the elderly," Oh said. "We will operate an even more comprehensive heat-response system throughout residential areas so that all citizens can find relief from the heat close to home with peace of mind."


ken@heraldcorp.com