Seoul's Seocho-gu district is pushing a range of hyperlocal heat-relief measures as a heat wave continues to grip the city, including a free bottled-water distribution program called "Seoripul Wondumark Saemmul" and a smart umbrella rental service called "Seoripul Yangsan Smart Rental," district mayor Jeon Seong-su announced.
The Seoripul Wondumark Saemmul project, which the district ran last year and has continued this year in partnership with the Seocho-gu Voluntary Disaster Prevention Corps and local small-business owners, distributes 700 to 1,000 bottles of water per day at each of five high-traffic locations — Yangjae Station, Seoul Arts Center, Bangbae Station, Seoraegol Park near the Sungmo Hospital intersection, and beneath the Yeouicheon Bridge along Yangjaechen stream — for a combined daily total of about 4,000 bottles.
The district purchases the water from local supermarkets under a partnership agreement, contributing to the vitality of the local economy. Officials said they expect the project to bring relief to heat-vulnerable pedestrians and help prevent heat-related illness.
The Seoripul Yangsan Smart Rental service, which the district launched last year as the first of its kind on a major roadway in the country, addresses both extreme heat and heavy rain. It operates at 24 key locations mapped to residents' daily routes, with each umbrella available free of charge for up to 48 hours. This year the district introduced a QR-code quick-login system to improve accessibility and management efficiency. As of July, the return rate stands at 98.6%, and male users account for 41.6% of all rentals — a sign that umbrella use is gaining traction among men as well.
In addition, the district's fixed foldable shade shelter, the Seoripul Wondumark — first introduced nationwide by Seocho-gu in 2015 — has become a signature heat-mitigation facility, giving residents shade and a place to rest while waiting for traffic signals in the blazing summer sun. Installed over the past decade or so at major intersections and crosswalks in high-foot-traffic areas, the shelters now number 328 across the district.
Alongside these initiatives, the district is pursuing a broad range of additional heat-response policies: welfare checks on heat-vulnerable groups including elderly people living alone and homeless individuals; health management visits for high-risk residents; ICT-based care for high-risk and vulnerable seniors; distribution of cooling supplies; expanded water-sprinkler truck operations on major and side roads; operation of Seoripul cooling chairs and eco-friendly cooling units called "Seoripul Siooni" at bus stops; operation of Seocho eco rest shelters; cooling-fog systems in parks and along streams; and safety inspections of fire-prone facilities such as gas supply and usage installations and residential vinyl greenhouses.
"We will actively push forward a wide range of hyperlocal heat-relief measures that residents can feel in their daily lives as the heat wave continues," district mayor Jeon said. "We will do our utmost to help residents stay healthy through the summer heat."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
