BGF Retail, which operates CU convenience stores, said on the 12th that it provided emergency relief supplies to the Seoul Station Rooming House Counseling Center for residents of the Dongja-dong rooming house district near Seoul Station who are at risk of damage from the heat wave.
With record heat expected to follow heavy downpours caused by the late rainy season, rooming house districts, where housing is cramped and air conditioning is limited, are cited as among the areas most vulnerable to heat waves. In addition, many people vulnerable to heat—such as older adults and basic livelihood security recipients—live in these districts, making it necessary to provide preemptive support to prevent health damage from the extreme heat.
In response to an emergency support request from the National Disaster Relief Association, BGF Retail activated the national disaster emergency relief program "BGF Bridge" with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Korean Red Cross, and the Korea Council of Volunteer Centers, and delivered emergency relief supplies from the BGF Logis Geomdan Logistics Center to the Seoul Station Rooming House Counseling Center on the 10th.
The delivered relief supplies totaled about 3,000 items (for roughly 400 people), including drinks and snacks. The items stockpiled at the Seoul Station Rooming House Counseling Center will be provided to nearby rooming house residents in line with heat wave conditions.
BGF Retail plans to continue monitoring damage to vulnerable groups from climate disasters such as heat waves and, in cooperation with related agencies, provide necessary support.
In 2015, BGF Retail signed a "business agreement on disaster prevention and relief" with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the National Disaster Relief Association, and has since continued national disaster prevention and emergency relief activities based on a network of more than 30 logistics centers nationwide and about 18,800 CU stores across the country.
A BGF Retail official said, "Because heat waves are a disaster directly linked to the lives of vulnerable groups, swift prevention and response through close cooperation with related agencies are crucial," and added, "BGF Retail, as a living platform that delivers help first where it is needed based on its nationwide logistics infrastructure and CU network, will put into practice the corporate spirit of being 'a good friend to our society.'"