Seoul's cooling centers close at night, leaving vulnerable residents exposed

Seoul's designated cooling centers, intended as refuges from extreme heat, largely shut down at night, leaving vulnerable residents without options. Out of 4,039 indoor cooling centers, only 15 remain open past 9 p.m. regardless of heat warnings, and just 57 extend hours during alerts. This leaves many, particularly the elderly and those reliant on basic livelihood security benefits, struggling to find relief after dark.

The problem is exacerbated in neighborhoods with a high concentration of elderly residents receiving basic livelihood security payments. These areas tend to have lower cooling center capacities. Neighborhoods like Dobong 1-dong and Sanggye 1-dong are identified as having neither sufficient cooling centers within a 300-meter radius nor adequate capacity for their elderly, low-income populations.

While the central government and Seoul city have announced measures to extend operating hours and open district offices 24 hours during heatwaves, these solutions are insufficient. District offices are few, and the distance can be a barrier for the elderly or those with mobility issues. A significant limitation is that most cooling centers are existing facilities like senior centers or community centers, whose original operating hours dictate their availability as cooling shelters.

Furthermore, accessing information about which centers remain open at night is difficult. Seoul's public data lacks clear operating hours for many centers, with details often missing or buried in notes. The reliance on heatwave warnings as a criterion for night operation also presents a gap, as heatwaves can occur without official warnings, leaving shelters closed.

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Senior centers have no managers. It's difficult to open them at night when it's left to self-management.