Incheon's Yeonsu-gu District (Mayor Lee Jae-ho) will fully launch its "2026 Yeonsu Water Refrigerator" program on July 6 to reduce residents' suffering from summer heat waves. The measure allows residents to easily obtain cold bottled water at nearby community facilities instead of visiting cooling shelters, and it is a life-focused heat wave response aimed at protecting residents' health during a summer when heat-related illnesses are common.
 [The Korean Today] Operation of Yeonsu-gu's '2026 Yeonsu Water Refrigerator' © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
The district started the program earlier than in previous years. As temperatures rose sharply from May and the heat arrived early, it decided to move up the originally planned operation date and respond preemptively. The program runs through Aug. 28, spanning more than two months at the height of summer when heat waves are concentrated.
The water is stocked at facilities along residents' daily routes. Refrigerators filled with cold bottled water are placed at 23 hub facilities in all, centered on the 15 community service centers in the district, along with four Yeonsu-gu public libraries, the public health center, the No. 2 government complex, and the Sehwa and Seonhak general social welfare centers. The volume provided during the program period reaches some 160,000 bottles.
The process for using it is simple. Any resident who visits one of these facilities can receive one free bottle of water per person. Because it requires no separate qualification or application procedure and only a visit to the facility, it is expected to be of real help to residents who frequently spend time outdoors or to households without adequate cooling.
The district expects the program to go beyond quenching thirst in the heat and lead to the prevention of heat-related illnesses. The mere fact that water can be easily secured within one's living area during a summer of frequent heat wave advisories helps with the health management of older adults and vulnerable groups.
A Yeonsu-gu official said, "We hope residents worn out by the heat can quench their thirst, if only briefly, with cold water and spend a healthy summer," adding, "We will continue to develop a variety of programs to prevent heat wave damage, with residents' safety as our top priority."
[ Reporter Kim Mi-hee: incheonsouth@thekoreantoday.com ]
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