Seoul City Implements 'Special Protection Measures' for Disaster-Vulnerable Groups Amid COVID-19 and Heatwave

Seoul City, 25 Districts, and Related Organizations Collaborate to Operate 'Seoul City Heatwave Comprehensive Support Situation Room'
Government Offices, Welfare Centers, and Safe Shelters Operate Cooling Centers for Seniors
Up to 3 Million Won Support for Low-Income Households Vulnerable to Heatwaves

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 20th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will implement a ‘Special Heatwave Protection Plan’ to protect vulnerable groups such as the elderly and residents of jjokbang (small, cramped rooms) who are having a difficult time due to COVID-19 and the heatwave. Seoul has been operating a comprehensive heatwave support situation room since the 13th.

First, to help citizens exhausted by the heatwave rest, disinfection activities will be carried out in collaboration with private organizations’ autonomous disaster prevention teams (6,737 members) and safety security guards (1,196 members) at heatwave shelters and vaccination centers, and disinfection supplies will be provided. Safe accommodations will be prepared for elderly people who find it difficult to get a good night's sleep due to tropical nights.

In addition, for 33,375 vulnerable elderly people, welfare checks will be strengthened. During heatwave warnings, 3,020 personnel will communicate heatwave situations and confirm the safety of the elderly through welfare calls every other day or daily, considering their health and circumstances.

Measures for homeless people and jjokbang residents will also be strengthened. Two outdoor rest areas will be operated at Seoul Station (Saekkum Children’s Park) and Namdaemun jjokbang village (community workshop) to facilitate easy use by residents, and 20 indoor heatwave shelters (10 for homeless people, 10 for jjokbang residents) will be strictly managed for disinfection.

Especially for low-income households vulnerable to heatwaves, a focused survey will be conducted on about 30,000 economically vulnerable households in July and August to assess their conditions and connect those who meet the criteria with public benefit services and private resources.

Furthermore, a separate budget of 500 million KRW has been allocated for the Seoul-type emergency welfare heatwave measures to support living expenses, medical expenses for heat-related illnesses caused by the heatwave, cooling appliances such as air conditioners, fans, refrigerators, cool mats, and electricity bills up to 3 million KRW. Income and property criteria will be relaxed to expand the scope of Seoul-type emergency welfare support.

Han Je-hyun, Director General of Safety at Seoul City, said, "This year, heatwave damage surged in North America due to the heat dome phenomenon, and since the rainy season in Korea ended early and the heatwave is predicted to be stronger than usual, we ask citizens to refrain from outdoor activities and outings as much as possible. When going out, please follow citizen action guidelines such as using parasols and drinking plenty of water to take care of your health during the heatwave."

He added, “Due to the early heatwave and the spread of local COVID-19 infections, vulnerable citizens such as the elderly and residents of jjokbang villages are having a hard time, so we will do our best to prevent heatwave damage to disaster-vulnerable groups.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.