Seoul deploys AI, 'climate sanctuaries' to combat brutal summer weather

Dongbu Expressway is submerged during heavy rain in Nowon District, northeastern Seoul, Aug. 13, 2025. Yonhap

As the Korean peninsula braces for a summer season defined by increasingly erratic and extreme weather, Seoul city officials are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) and an expanded network of "climate shelters" to protect a vulnerable urban population.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government unveiled a comprehensive five-month safety mandate on Wednesday, a strategic pivot aimed at hardening the capital against the dual threats of extreme heat and flash flooding. The plan, which runs through October, represents a significant escalation in the city’s technological response to the climate crisis.

Central to the initiative is the deployment of AI-powered surveillance along Seoul’s major streams, including Jungnang Stream. These intelligent CCTV systems are designed to detect stranded pedestrians in real-time and issue automated warnings during the sudden, torrential downpours that have increasingly plagued the region. Further inland, AI will analyze weather radar data to predict flooding risks on 15 notorious thoroughfares, including the low-lying districts around Gangnam Station that have previously seen devastating inundations.

But the city's strategy is as much about social infrastructure as it is about software. Officials are focusing heavily on the so-called "energy poor" — older adults, the homeless and residents of semi-basement apartments that gained international notoriety for their vulnerability during past flood events.

To combat a "heat island" effect that can make the dense metropolis several degrees hotter than its outskirts, Seoul will operate nearly 3,000 cooling centers specifically for seniors. An additional 4,000 public spaces, from libraries to community centers, will be repurposed as emergency refuges. In a bid to weave climate resilience into the fabric of daily life, the city is also expanding its "climate companion" program, partnering with private banks and convenience stores to serve as air-conditioned sanctuaries for passersby.

On the streets, "cooling roads" will utilize automated sprinklers to dampen pavement temperatures, while misting systems will be installed in crowded neighborhoods. As climate change accelerates the frequency of these extreme events, Seoul’s leadership is betting that this blend of high-tech prediction and hyper-local sheltering can transform the city from a victim of the elements into a model of urban endurance.

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