Free for all: Seoul's bottled water 'vending' machines go viral, douse sweltering heat wave

On a hot summer day in Itaewon in Yongsan District, central Seoul, Kathrine Coleman noticed district officials installing a new vending machine in her neighborhood.

The machine looked like any other, with rows of bottles, except one thing seemed very unusual: There was no way to pay. The machine had no credit card reader and its coin slots were taped shut. 

However, with just the touch of a button, the machine dispensed bottled water — refreshingly cold — completely free of charge.

This new vending machine is one of 19 stations scattered across Yongsan District that provides anyone with free bottled water. Two of them are even in the form of refrigerators.

Coleman, who is from the United States, is not the only one who has begun to take interest in the vending machines.

One post on X on June 30 in Japanese went viral after introducing the district’s free bottled water stations to other users from all over the world.

“Korea has this thing where free services like this just pop up out of nowhere sometimes,” the post read. “I was so overheated I was practically dehydrated, so I chugged almost a whole bottle right there on the spot and felt revived.”

The post has been viewed over 5.3 million times with more than 20,000 likes, with many other users chiming in to praise the district’s effort. 

“Japan has drinking fountains in parks too, but I’m envious of the free chilled bottle vending machines,” one user wrote. “I think they’re really effective in preventing heatstroke.” 

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“Being able to drink immediately when needed feels like an act of kindness from the [district],” another user wrote in Japanese. “It’s a prime example of tax money being returned to citizens.”

The Korea JoongAng Daily visited Yongsan District on July 23 to check out where these free bottled water stations are, and who uses them.

Over the course of the afternoon, passersby of all ages and backgrounds, from children and older adults to soldiers and street cleaners, all stopped by, each taking a 300-milliliter (10-ounce) bottle from the machines.

“I think it’s really great that the government is providing water in the summertime for the kids and adults,” Coleman said. “It makes us feel like more of a community.”

Still, questions remain: Who is behind these stations, and why are they offering free water to the public?

Peak summer suffering

The vending machines were installed in June by the Yongsan District Office as part of an initiative aimed at combatting Korea’s long spells of hot weather.

Korea’s notoriously scorching summers often see prolonged heat waves, with temperatures surging to nearly 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

“We wanted to help prevent heat-related illnesses during the summer by allowing residents who spend time outdoors gain easier access to drinking water,” a Yongsan District official said, adding that the free bottled water station program began last year.

As of Wednesday, 19 of 25 districts in Seoul were issued heat wave warnings by the Korea Meteorological Administration, which takes effect when the maximum perceived temperature reaches 35 degrees Celsius for two or more days.

There were 1,399 heat-related illness patients from May 15 through Sunday, eight of whom have died. Last year also saw a total of 2,367 such patients during the summer months, including 12 deaths, according to data released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. 

The number of days considered heat waves increased by nearly fourfold, from 7.7 days in 2020 to 29.7 days last year.

The bottled water is purchased directly from a supplier and funded through the district’s budget.

“We’ve seen positive feedback especially from parkgoers, older adults and mobile workers, who told us that the water helps them cool off during the hot weather," the official said.

At the touch of a button

Using the free vending machines is straightforward. However, as the attached signs are written only in Korean, it’s easy for them to be overlooked by foreigners. 

Just press any button lit up in green to collect a cold bottle of water. The only requirements are that each person take no more than one bottle and recycle it afterward. 

They are mainly installed outdoors in places with relatively heavy foot traffic, such as parks, community centers, bus stops and subway station exits within the district. 

The vending machines operate daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Aug. 24. Regular restocking happens three times a day, between 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., with 200 bottles added each time. 

The two refrigerators are installed at the Yongsan District Office: one within the civil service center on the second floor, and another inside the public health center on the first basement floor. They operate from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and are closed on public holidays.

Still, the initiative is not without shortcomings.

During the Korea JoongAng Daily’s visit, one woman was seen taking many bottles of water and putting them inside a plastic wrapper from a multipack case for what seemed to be resale purposes. Since the vending machines are not staffed, no one was there to stop her.

“Although the water stations in the district are available for anyone to use, we ask everyone to take only one bottle of water out of consideration for others,” the district official said, explaining that the vending machines have a timer function to prevent repeated use.

Hydration is just a call away  

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has also jumped on the hydration bandwagon by providing 400,000 bottles of Arisu, the capital’s tap water brand, to help more at-risk populations, including older adults, homeless people and laborers such as construction or delivery workers, cope with the extreme heat.

Eighteen water stations, either vending machines or fridges, have been installed in nine areas in other districts in Seoul. These include Tapgol Park in Jongno District, central Seoul, which is a popular get-together spot for older people, and a rest area for mobile workers in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul. 

The program runs through Sept. 30.

Gyeonggi's Gunpo, which also operates a similar initiative, has addressed the water hoarding issue by requiring users to call a phone number displayed on each machine. After verifying each user’s phone number, the machine dispenses one bottle of water per person per day. 

In the winter, Gunpo uses the vending machines to offer disposable hand warmers, also free of charge.

Gochang County in North Jeolla and Hanam in Gyeonggi both currently operate bottled water fridges as well.

Other ways to beat the heat 

Mayor Oh Se-hoon on Monday instructed city officials to step up protection efforts for vulnerable groups, such as older adults living alone, residents of jjokbang neighborhoods (clusters of tiny single-room dwellings), homeless people and mobile workers. 

In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has opened cooling shelters, set up canopies and deployed water-spraying trucks. 

Gangseo District in western Seoul recently opened 161 cooling shelters for older adults, equipped with air conditioners, fans, bottled water and first-aid kits. 

Dongdaemun District in eastern Seoul implemented a welfare “check-in” system for older adults living alone, where phone calls or visits are made every two days to check on their health during the summer. Any warning signs detected during the check-ins will be immediately relayed to the district office’s welfare team, and when necessary, to the 119 emergency hotline. 

“I don’t think we have something like this [back home],” said Leon Strydom, a South African resident who has lived in Incheon for 25 years, as he marveled at one of the nearby vending machines in Yongsan District. He added that it was his first time seeing a free bottled water vending machine.

“I think this is a really good idea,” he said. “The summers here seem to be getting hotter and hotter.”

BY SHIN MIN-HEE, HUR KYUNG-SEOK [[email protected]]