As the summer heat settles heavily over the urban basin of Seoul, the capital is offering its residents a familiar, albeit revitalized, reprieve: turning its public riverfronts, neighborhood plazas and parks into sprawling aquatic sanctuaries. For millions of families navigating the humid stretch of school vacations, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and several district offices have unveiled an expanded network of outdoor pools and water play parks. Designed as low-cost, accessible escapes, these public facilities reflect a broader municipal effort to adapt the dense, high-rise metropolis into a more livable — and cooler — summer environment. At the heart of the city’s aquatic strategy is the Han River, the wide ribbon of water that bisects the city. On June 19, the city’s Han River Parks system launched six public swimming and splash facilities for a 73-day season running through Aug. 30. Full-scale outdoor pools have returned to the popular riverside parks at Ttukseom and Yeouido. Meanwhile, shallow water play areas — designed with younger children in mind and requiring min