Seoul adds map of 422 water play spots to help families beat summer heat

Children cool off at the Yangjae Stream swimming pool in Seocho District, southern Seoul, July 13, 2024. Hankook Ilbo

With the heavy heat of summer settling over the capital, finding a quick, budget-friendly escape for children has often meant navigating a frustrating patchwork of local district websites, social media channels and community blogs.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it is streamlining this search with a centralized, interactive digital directory designed to help families stay cool without leaving the city. Starting Monday, the municipal Smart Seoul Map began offering a unified guide to 422 water facilities scattered across Seoul’s 25 districts, giving residents real-time access to operational hours, exact locations and nearby amenities on their smartphones.

The database, which city officials say will be updated continuously by local district workers through August, maps out a diverse network of public urban oases. The list includes 103 traditional swimming pools, 97 playground water parks, 147 splash pads, and 66 decorative water features. Among the new highlights featured on the map is the newly opened water playground at Gwangnaru Hangang Park.

"In the dead of summer, we wanted to make sure families — especially parents with young children — could easily discover recreational spots right in their neighborhoods," said Jung Young-jun, the director general of Seoul's Digital City Bureau. "Our goal is to expand digital services that directly improve everyday life."

The mobile-friendly platform allows users to instantly share locations with family members via a built-in link-sharing tool or by scanning a public QR code. Beyond pools and splash pads, the map has been updated with directories for other seasonal evening activities, including paths for the ongoing Seoul International Garden Show at Seoul Forest, designated night-view walking trails to avoid the daytime heat and schedules for local summer festivals.

In a densely populated capital where long road trips to coastal beaches can be daunting, city planners said they hope the portal will encourage residents to utilize nearby, low-cost municipal assets to beat the heat closer to home.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.