As record heat looms, Seoul deploys high-tech fog, canopies to cool residents
Facing forecasts of an unseasonably brutal summer and the earliest heat-related fatality on record, municipal authorities here are transforming the capital’s public spaces into a fortified network of cooling zones to combat extreme urban temperatures. The seasonal counteroffensive, scheduled to run through Sept. 30, comes after the Korea Meteorological Administration projected that mean temperatures this summer will significantly exceed seasonal norms. The threat took on new urgency when a heat-related death was recorded on May 15 — the earliest such fatality since the country established its emergency room heat illness surveillance system in 2011. To protect pedestrians in a sprawling metropolis dominated by asphalt and concrete, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is rolling out an array of architectural and mechanical interventions. Among the additions are "Happiso" zones — air-dome-equipped outdoor cooling shelters — scheduled to be pitched at 14 high-traffic landmarks, including Gwanghwamun Square and Cheonggye Plaza. The city will also deploy large canopy-style shade structu
