Summer ready: Seoul's districts unveil creative solutions to help residents handle the heat

As Korea's battle with extreme weather drags on, small but noticeable efforts to ease the burden on citizens are appearing across the capital. In Seoul, district offices are rolling out creative solutions to help residents stay safe this summer.

A Nowon district official hands out a free bottle of water to a passerby on a street in Nowon District, northern Seoul, last summer. [NOWON DISTRICT OFFICE]

Korea hasn't even entered the hottest part of summer — or chobok, by the Korean calendar — yet. But stifling heat, now followed by intense rain, is already battering the country.

As last week's temperatures circled 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), 1,491 cases of heat-related illness and nine deaths have been reported as of Saturday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Compared to the same period last year, the numbers are up by approximately 2.5 times and 2.7 times, respectively.

Air conditioner sales have jumped 170 percent for LG Electronics compared to the same period last year.

People walk the streets in Jongno District, central Seoul, in record heat waves that hit Seoul last week, on July 10. [YONHAP]

As Korea's battle with extreme weather drags on, small but noticeable efforts to ease the burden on heat-weary citizens are appearing across the capital. In Seoul, district offices are rolling out creative solutions to help residents stay safe this summer.

Their gestures may be as simple as handing out a complimentary water bottle to passersby or installing an AI-powered sunshade near a bus stop, but they go a long way for some.

"I walk this route often, so I know this shade and bench weren’t here before,” said Park Kyung-ja, 68, resting mid-walk on a new "cooling" bench in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul, on Monday morning.

On hotter days, she is more careful when stepping out of her home, but when she needs to go grocery shopping or to the bank, walking and taking the bus is inevitable. The new bench and shade, she says, helps her feel safer outside, knowing she doesn’t have to search for a place to take breaks.

“It’s much cooler here. I’m really glad they added it.”

The spot is one of the additional 40 temperature-regulating benches that Seongdong District has installed this summer.

An AI-powered temperature-regulating bench in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul [SEONGDONG DISTRICT OFFICE]

The seats, placed mainly at bus stops, are equipped with a temperature detector that regulates the chair's temperature to 28 degrees Celsius when the outdoor temperature exceeds 30 degrees Celsius. Upon sitting, the bench feels subtly cooler than the outside air, but not noticeably icy.

In winter, it maintains a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius when the outdoor temperature is below 20 degrees Celsius.

The bench's system operates daily from 4 a.m. to midnight, in alignment with the bus schedule. The system also features a sensor to detect movement, and when the bench is unoccupied, it automatically switches to power-saving mode.

While other districts have since installed similar benches, Seongdong District was the first to roll them out in 2022, initially with heating features and later upgraded them to include cooling.

The district now has a total of 162 temperature-regulating benches at its bus stops.

A Nowon district official hands out a free bottle of water to a passerby at a park in Nowon District, northern Seoul, in summer 2024. [NOWON DISTRICT OFFICE]

Some are handing out free bottled water.

Jung District in central Seoul has introduced five free water vending machines throughout its area. Six hundred bottles of water are available daily at each vending machine. To prevent one person from taking out multiple bottles, it is designed to dispense one bottle every 15 seconds.

Nowon District in northern Seoul also plans to install 18 similar “healing refrigerators” around the district’s walking trails and exercise spots, starting July 24. It aims to offer some 2.16 million bottles of free water to its citizens this summer.

An AI-powered sunshade in Songpa District, southern Seoul [SONGPA DISTRICT OFFICE]

In addition, automatically functioning sunshades are being more actively adopted in Seoul as well as in other provinces.

These shades, which resemble green or blue parasols, are designed to automatically open when they detect a specific temperature, above 15 degrees Celsius, or close when the wind is too strong. They are also equipped with LED lighting, designed to ensure pedestrian safety at night.

Gwanak District in southern Seoul has installed an additional 23 of these shades this summer, bringing its total to 119. It has also placed benches beneath some of the shades for pedestrians to sit on while waiting for a signal change or just to rest.

An AI-powered street gutter in Jung District, central Seoul [JUNG DISTRICT OFFICE]

Districts are also bracing for the impending downpours that are following the heat.

Gangnam District in southern Seoul is operating a smart water level gauge that transmits live water level alerts to the district office, enabling it to prevent flooding in advance.

The Jung District Office announced that it began a pilot run of the "smart rainwater collector" on Tuesday. Installed at 20 locations, it is essentially a street gutter that opens automatically when it starts raining, powered by solar power. Anyone can manually shut the gutter to prevent any stench or people from throwing garbage inside.

"We are hoping to simultaneously tackle the district citizens' malodor complaints and possible flooding," said district office head Kim Gil-sung.

A QR code is posted next to a street gutter in Yongsan District, central Seoul, allowing citizens to easily report an overflowing gutter. [YONGSAN DISTRICT OFFICE]

Gwanak District and Yongsan District, central Seoul, have posted small QR codes next to over 1,000 street gutters, allowing citizens to easily report an overflowing rain gutter by simply scanning the code.

This week, the heat has temporarily abated while heavy rain is now sweeping Korea, with southern regions forecast to receive significant rainfalls as the so-called "heat dome" that has gripped the capital area breaks and gives way to unstable weather, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. Overnight downpours of up to 242 millimeters (9.5 inches) in South Gyeongsang on Sunday caused a series of traffic accidents, flooding and fallen trees. A total of 44 rain-related incidents were reported in the province between Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday, according to the South Gyeongsang and Changwon Fire Departments.

“AI-powered smart systems are now necessary to prevent unpredictable climate disasters and accidents,” said Gwanak District office head Park Jun-hee. “We will continue to incorporate artificial intelligence and information technology to create practical smart administration and put our best foot forward to ensure the lives and safety of our district citizens.”

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]