Interior ministry broadens heat shelter access through everyday spaces

The interior ministry said Wednesday the number of heat shelters nationwide has risen from 20,448 in 2006 to 93,375 this year amid ongoing heat waves and tropical nights.

The ministry introduced the program in 2006 as cooling centers, using local government offices, senior centers and village halls to provide air conditioning to heat-vulnerable people, including older residents living alone. It renamed the facilities heat shelters in 2007 and expanded the program to include health checks and heat-safety guidance by officials and helpers.

The heat-shelter network now serves all residents in public and private venues, including financial institutions, railway stations and public libraries.

Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, has designated eight community spaces that offer ramen as heat shelters. Yuseong-gu in Daejeon uses rest areas for mobile workers and offers mentoring and consultations with a resident certified labor attorney.

About 13,000 shelters nationwide extend their hours into the night during heat-wave alerts or when tropical nights persist. "We will continue to identify shelters tailored to local conditions and users' needs, and manage them thoroughly so people can use them conveniently whenever needed," Kim Gwang-yong, head of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters, said.

Residents can check nearby shelter locations through National Safety 24, local-government websites and private mapping applications. The ministry and local governments also work with volunteer disaster-prevention groups to regularly check air-conditioner operation, signage and location-data accuracy.