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Busan Metropolitan City Protects Citizens Through Comprehensive Responses to Increasingly Routine Heat Waves… Launches Enhanced Comprehensive Countermeasures

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Acting Mayor Kim Kyung-duk, announced that it entered the official heat wave response period from May 15 to September 30 and is currently operating comprehensive countermeasures. The city will hold the “Special Heat Wave Countermeasure Implementation Status Review Meeting” today (May 26) at 2 p.m. at the City Hall Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

The meeting, chaired by Acting Mayor Kim, will be attended by heads of departments and offices supporting heat wave response efforts, as well as disaster-related organizations including the Busan Regional Employment and Labor Office, the Busan Regional Headquarters of the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, all 16 district and county governments, police, and fire authorities. KT Corporation and BNK Busan Bank, which jointly operate private-sector cooling shelters, will also participate.

The meeting has been arranged to review whether the city’s current measures are sufficient in response to the Korea Meteorological Administration’s revised heat wave advisory system, which will take effect this summer on June 1, and to ensure meticulous implementation of safety measures for heat-vulnerable areas and citizens requiring care.

Beginning this summer, the Korea Meteorological Administration will expand its heat wave advisory system from the current two-tier structure of advisory and warning to a three-tier structure consisting of advisory, warning, and severe heat wave warning. A new tropical night advisory will also be introduced. In response, the city has activated a significantly strengthened comprehensive heat wave response plan.

This year, the city’s heat wave measures focus on strengthening the situation management system, protecting vulnerable groups, expanding cooling shelters, and reinforcing safety management for outdoor festivals and events, in line with the start of the official heat wave response period on May 15.

First, under the category of strengthening the situation management system, the city has launched a new mobile situation room and activated a monitoring system for heat-related illness cases through the “Emergency Room Surveillance System for Heat-Related Illnesses.”

When heat wave advisories are issued, the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters will operate according to each response stage to fully address heat-related disasters. The mobile situation room will remain operational throughout the response period with participation from the city government, district and county governments, affiliated agencies, the Busan Regional Meteorological Administration, the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education, the Busan Regional Employment and Labor Office, and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency.

Second, under the protection of vulnerable groups, the city is implementing enhanced care measures in response to increasingly frequent and prolonged heat waves. Welfare workers will check on heat-vulnerable groups and high-risk individuals, while basic safety guidelines and heat illness prevention guidance will be provided to heat-vulnerable workplaces.

When heat wave advisories are issued, living support workers will check on approximately 32,000 vulnerable senior citizens every other day or daily. During the severe heat wave warning stage, high-risk individuals will be checked on at least twice daily.

In addition, the city plans to provide the five basic heat safety rules to heat-vulnerable workplaces, including 54 city-contracted worksites and 259 private construction sites, and conduct guidance on heat illness prevention. The five rules include: ① cool drinking water, ② air-conditioning equipment, ③ rest breaks of 20 minutes every two hours, ④ provision of cooling gear, and ⑤ emergency reporting to 119.

Third, under the expansion of heat shelters, the city is increasing the number of easily accessible cooling shelters and significantly expanding heat reduction facilities. To support this effort, the city proactively allocated KRW 1 billion in heat wave response funding and KRW 900 million in special adjustment grants to district and county governments in February and May.

A total of 1,500 cooling shelters and 4,200 heat reduction facilities, including smart shade structures, were fully inspected in April and are currently in operation. The city is also operating seven rest facilities for mobile workers across Busan.

The city additionally plans to expand subway station cooling shelters equipped with convenience facilities from one location to five locations, and smart bus shelters from 54 to 57 locations. Additional shade structures, which have received high citizen satisfaction, and cooling fog systems will also be installed.

Furthermore, through agreements between the city and private companies, 135 KT branch offices are currently being operated as neighborhood climate shelters. This year, BNK Busan Bank plans to expand the use of its 196 branch offices as cooling and rest spaces for citizens.

Fourth, under strengthened safety management for outdoor festivals and events, the city plans to significantly reinforce safety measures for outdoor summer festivals and events from the pre-inspection stage through on-site management.

The adequacy of heat wave countermeasures will be thoroughly reviewed during the planning stage, and implementation status inspections will be jointly conducted with private experts before events take place. On the day of each event, on-site monitoring systems will be activated to manage conditions until the conclusion of the event.

In addition, through “Busan Safety ON” (safecity.busan.go.kr/), which has been operating since February as an integrated disaster and safety information platform, the city provides integrated heat wave information including real-time temperatures, advisories, and cooling shelter information. Heat wave response guidelines and safety rules are also actively promoted through various communication channels.

The city plans to implement not only the “Enhanced Comprehensive Heat Wave Countermeasures” but also additional measures discussed and identified by participating institutions during today’s meeting.

Acting Mayor Kim Kyung-duk of Busan Metropolitan City stated, “We will focus on preventing heat-related illnesses at heat-vulnerable sites and protecting vulnerable groups during the summer season, including senior citizens and homeless individuals who require care,” adding, “To protect citizens from record-breaking heat and increasingly routine heat waves, we will mobilize all available personnel and resources.”