Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
Seoul deploys chilled water fridges to protect heat-vulnerable residents
A volunteer worker provides chilled bottled tap water to senior citizens at Tapgol Park in Seoul, July 13. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
By Jhoo Dong-chan
As summer temperatures climb across the capital, municipal authorities are turning to a straightforward strategy to keep vulnerable residents and outdoor workers safe from heat-related illness: free, chilled bottles of tap water served at 5 degrees Celsius.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday that it launched 18 "Arisu Sharing Refrigerators" across nine key hubs citywide, distributing cold bottled municipal water — branded as Arisu — through Sept. 30. The program targets people facing prolonged exposure to extreme heat, including delivery workers, outdoor laborers, elderly residents and homeless people.
The initiative arrives amid a sharp rise in extreme heat events across Korea.
Heat illness cases nationwide surged to 4,460 last year, quadrupling over the past five years. In Seoul alone, health authorities logged 378 cases of heat-related illness last summer, with heat exhaustion accounting 48 percent. The vast majority of these incidents occurred outdoors along roads and in public parks.
To address the threat where it is most acute, the city deployed six vending-machine-style dispensers and 12 commercial refrigerators at high-traffic locations, including Tapgol Park, the Yeongdeungpo Mobile Worker Rest Area and Seoul City Hall.
The bottled water is stored at 5 degrees Celsius — matching the temperature of commercial convenience store refrigerators. To manage heavy foot traffic, municipal staff and welfare center personnel are stationed at busy locations like Tapgol Park to assist with distribution.
City officials plan to supply 400,000 bottles of Arisu during the official heat wave response period, allocating 160,000 specifically to the sharing refrigerators while dynamically adjusting supplies based on temperature spikes. The city maintains a daily production capacity of up to 32,000 bottles alongside a permanent reserve of 200,000 bottles for emergency heat response and disaster relief.
"Heat waves are a major climate disaster that directly threaten public health, making proper hydration essential for preventing heat exhaustion," said Kwon Min, head of the Seoul Arisu Headquarters. "We will maintain thorough, on-the-ground support so that residents most vulnerable to extreme heat can stay safe and healthy through the summer."
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.