Jung-gu District Mayor Kim Gil-sung has been visiting senior center heat shelters amid a prolonged heat wave to check on conditions and speak with elderly residents.
Acting on feedback gathered during the visits, the district expanded shelter operations to include weekends starting Saturday — one of several measures rolled out as a heat advisory that took effect July 24 has continued without letup. Kim began touring the shelters on Tuesday, July 28.
Kim started with Cheonggu Senior Center in Cheonggu-dong and Jangsu Senior Center in Dasan-dong on Tuesday, July 28, then visited Samsung Apartment Senior Center in Cheonggu-dong on Thursday. On Monday he called on Jungnim Senior Center and Samsung Cyber Senior Center in Jungnim-dong. During each visit he checked whether air-conditioning systems were running properly, assessed indoor temperatures and overall comfort, and sat down with residents to hear their concerns.
Residents told him that while other cooling facilities exist, senior centers are the most comfortable option for them, and asked that the centers be kept open on weekends as well. The district promptly surveyed each center's operating capacity and, following a needs assessment, opened all designated senior center shelters on weekends starting Saturday.
Jung-gu has designated 31 senior centers as heat shelters. Of those, 22 with high elderly attendance will remain open through Sept. 30 — about a month longer than originally planned. The district is also operating four safe overnight facilities for seniors particularly vulnerable to tropical nights.
While the heat advisory remains in effect, the district has also stepped up welfare checks on at-risk groups, including elderly residents living alone. District office, community center and public health center staff, along with welfare workers, are conducting regular check-ins and distributing heat safety guidelines.
"We will continue to monitor conditions on the ground closely so that our elderly residents can stay healthy and safe throughout the summer heat," Kim said.
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