Gangnam-gu, led by District Mayor Kim Hyeon-gi, convened an emergency heat management meeting Tuesday and launched an all-out response after Seoul issued its first extreme heat alert of the year that day.
The district is operating 93 cooling shelters in total — 33 public facilities including the district office, community service centers and libraries, 52 welfare facilities, five rest stations for mobile workers, and three emergency accommodations. Hours at 27 welfare facilities will be extended through the weekend.
The district has also stepped up road-washing operations to ease the urban heat island effect. Deploying 15 water-spraying trucks — the largest fleet among Seoul's autonomous districts — Gangnam-gu increased its daily water output by about 15 percent starting Wednesday, delivering 844.3 tons per day. The trucks concentrate on peak heat hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., washing major arterial roads at least three times a day and side streets at least twice to bring down road surface temperatures.
The district is also running 311 shade structures — including 24 smart canopies — along with 18 cooling-mist units. Two ground-fountain installations are already operating at children's parks, with a third set to open next week to give residents additional relief from the heat.
Welfare checks on health-vulnerable residents have been significantly reinforced.
The district is closely monitoring the health of 13,895 residents in vulnerable groups, including the elderly, people with disabilities and those with chronic illnesses. For roughly 2,600 people classified as priority cases, visiting nurse call frequency has been doubled compared to normal periods. Weekend and holiday health-support teams have also increased their caseloads by 40 percent. Heat-illness prevention education and safety training are being conducted, and heat-preparedness health and safety kits have been distributed.
The district is also keeping close tabs on 1,129 elderly residents living alone, contacting priority cases daily and others every other day by phone or in-person visit. IoT devices and AI care monitors have been installed in each home to enable around-the-clock monitoring.
Workplace safety and health measures for outdoor workers are also in effect.
Park and green-space field workers received four types of heat-response supplies — including personal cooling gear and glucose-salt tablets — before the heat wave arrived, and receive daily pre-shift safety and heat-prevention briefings each morning. Worksites and construction sites are being checked for compliance with rest requirements and safety rules, with bottled water, cooling equipment and glucose provided on an ongoing basis. Heat-related safety inspections are also underway at reconstruction and private construction sites.
The district is also paying close attention to Guryong Village. In addition to the existing cooling shelter at the village community hall, the district completed installation of three portable air conditioners across two communal living spaces Tuesday, in cooperation with SH Corporation. A temporary medical clinic will operate for 11 days, from Tuesday through Aug. 14, to check residents' health and provide necessary care.
"We are mobilizing every administrative resource at the district's disposal to protect the lives and health of our residents during this record-breaking heat wave," District Mayor Kim said. "We urge residents to refrain from outdoor activities during the hottest parts of the day and to make full use of the cooling shelters near them for a safe and comfortable summer."
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