A record heat wave exceeding 41 degrees Celsius is transforming what was once a typical summer into a national disaster, with heat-related illnesses and fatalities reported. According to the National Statistical Office, 98% of households in South Korea have air conditioning, but access varies significantly by income level.
A survey of low-income households by major local governments revealed that less than 20% own air conditioning units. More than one in three low-income families experience heat-related illnesses each year, highlighting the social health inequalities exacerbated by the heat wave.
Recently, Greenpeace's Seoul office released an analysis of green space and surface temperature across Seoul's districts. Dongdaemun, with only 1.3 square kilometers of green space, recorded surface temperatures soaring to 43 degrees Celsius, while Seocho, with 19.6 square kilometers of green space, remained at 37.8 degrees. Unsurprisingly, most heat-related illnesses occurred in Dongdaemun. The heat generated by scorching asphalt and air conditioning units fails to dissipate overnight, illustrating the reality of the urban heat island effect.
Looking nationwide, both the government and local authorities have encroached upon green spaces in pursuit of short-term gains in housing supply and real estate development. Each time a new city is developed or a large apartment complex is built, green space is often reduced by more than half.
Since the introduction of the greenbelt system in 1971, a total of 5,397 square kilometers have been designated for protection. However, about 30% of these areas have been released for reasons such as stabilizing housing prices, increasing housing supply, and establishing national industrial complexes. During the Kim Dae-jung administration, greenbelts covering 781 square kilometers in seven small urban areas were fully lifted, while the Roh Moo-hyun administration dismantled 654 square kilometers of greenbelt near Seoul and the metropolitan area for public rental housing. The Lee Myung-bak administration also eliminated 88 square kilometers of greenbelt in the Gangnam area to secure land for housing projects.
Since 2000, an average of 10 to 20 square kilometers of green space has been lost each year. Renewable energy projects have also contributed to this loss, as forests and rich woodlands are cleared under the guise of expanding solar and wind power facilities, damaging the natural ecosystem and its climate regulation capabilities.
Efforts to restore damaged forests are ongoing in various municipalities. However, the challenge lies in densely populated urban areas, where development-centric policies continue to dominate. Housing supply is often addressed reactively, with increases in response to surging real estate prices rather than through long-term planning.
This represents a serious policy misstep and a disregard for fundamental national principles. Solutions to the heat wave cannot be limited to adding a few cooling centers or deploying water trucks as temporary fixes. A comprehensive, long-term national climate adaptation strategy is urgently needed.
The core of this strategy must return to the fundamental principle of 'preserving and expanding green spaces.' Strict protection of greenbelts and urban parks, large-scale forest creation in cities, and a ban on forest destruction for renewable energy projects must be legislated.
The greatest asset we can leave for future generations is not well-maintained concrete buildings or temporary energy facilities, but rather the green spaces that breathe and cool the environment. Protecting green spaces in their entirety is the most profound insight and basic common sense for ensuring the survival of future generations in the era of climate crisis.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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