Seoul's pop-up heat shelters draw more than 30,000 visitors in first 2 months
A new type of mobile outdoor shelter Seoul introduced this summer to help people escape the heat has drawn more than 30,000 visitors to Gwanghwamun Plaza alone since June, city officials said Thursday, prompting municipal officials to consider extending the program. The shelters, called "Haepiso" — a name that combines the Korean words for "a place to escape the sun" and "happy" — are meant to supplement Seoul's existing network of indoor cooling centers by placing air-conditioned rest spots directly along routes where people already walk, such as plazas and parks, rather than requiring them to seek out a dedicated building. Anyone can use them free of charge. Between June 10 and July 31, the Gwanghwamun Plaza shelter drew 30,405 visitors — an average of about 596 people a day — with usage climbing sharply as the summer heat intensified. It recorded its single busiest day on July 17, when 1,426 people stopped by to cool off. The Gwanghwamun shelter, built from materials including air-dome fabric and polycarbonate panels, covers 64 square meters and stands four meters tall, with
