Ministry of Interior and Safety expands heatwave shade canopy rollout

Ministry of Interior and Safety said Friday it would expand roadside shade canopies amid continuing intense heat, after the number of installations nationwide reached 39,514 this year.

The ministry has supported local governments with heatwave-response funding to build these close-to-home facilities, typically positioned on sidewalks and near pedestrian crossings where people can briefly escape direct sunlight.

Smart canopies that detect temperature and wind numbered 9,163 in 2026. Some local governments have coupled the structures with cooling-fog equipment or reused them in winter as Christmas trees and flower-pot displays.

Shade screens first appeared in 2006, when black awnings were placed at temporary housing for flood victims in Pyeongchang. The first pedestrian version followed in June 2015, when Seoul's Seocho district installed foldable parasol-style canopies for people waiting to cross under strong sunlight.

The rollout gained a formal footing after the transport ministry recognized shade canopies as road ancillary facilities in 2017, establishing safety and specification requirements. The Interior Ministry then standardized installation rules through guidelines issued in 2019. Those guidelines gave local authorities a common framework for managing the installations.

This summer has recorded the highest temperature since weather observations began in 1904, breaking a 122-year record. With the severe-heatwave alert system introduced this year now being expanded, the government has activated Level 2 of its central disaster and safety headquarters and is maintaining a government-wide response.

"As climate change makes heatwaves part of daily life, protecting people's lives and safety is the government's most important duty," said Kim Gwang-yong, the ministry's head of disaster and safety management.