Songpa-gu District Mayor Seo Gang-seok. [Provided by Songpa-gu]
Songpa-gu District Mayor Seo Gang-seok. [Provided by Songpa-gu]

Seoul's Songpa-gu announced Tuesday it will distribute 9,000 bottles of iced water free of charge at popular outdoor spaces — Seokchon Lake, Olympic Park and Seongnae Stream — to help residents prevent heat-related illness amid a record-breaking heat wave.

The district held an emergency heat-response meeting recently and decided, on top of existing heat countermeasures, to hand out iced water that residents can use immediately while outdoors. The aim is to let people replenish fluids and cool down briefly during everyday outdoor activities such as walking or exercising, without having to seek out indoor facilities like cooling centers.

The iced water will be available free of charge at three high-traffic outdoor locations for 10 days, from Friday through Sunday. Distribution runs daily from 10 a.m. to noon at three sites — in front of the Atelier at Seokchon Lake, in front of the handball stadium at Olympic Park, and at the Mulbit Plaza along Seongnae Stream — with 300 bottles per site, totaling 900 bottles a day. With 9,000 bottles prepared in total, same-day distribution will end early once supplies run out.

Alongside the iced-water giveaway, the district will continue its existing heat countermeasures, including operating shade canopies, running road-sprinkler vehicles and inspecting cooling centers.

Meanwhile, Songpa-gu is running a summer water-play facility called "Haha Hoho Water Playground" during the school summer break, along with a reading-and-swimming program titled "Book Splash! Dive into Books, Splash into Imagination — 2026 Summer Reading Corner."

"We have strengthened our on-site response so that residents engaging in outdoor activities during the heat wave can more easily replenish fluids and cool down, even if just for a moment," District Mayor Seo said.


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