The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said on the 8th it will move to strengthen a pan-government response system related to the extreme heat wave.
The government will focus administrative resources on field-centered responses to prevent casualties, centering on older adults, farm sites, and indoor and outdoor workplaces. As of the 6th of this month, 23 patients have died from heat-related illness this year. Of these, 19 (82.6%) were 65 or older. Deaths were concentrated among outdoor workers, including 7 (30%) in rural areas and 6 (26.1%) at indoor and outdoor workplaces.
To strengthen the heat wave response, emergency response bodies such as accident response support headquarters will be set up within relevant ministries centered on the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL). The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will handle protection of older farmers and the agriculture and livestock sectors; the Ministry of Health and Welfare will protect vulnerable groups such as seniors living alone; and the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) will supervise and inspect workplaces for outdoor, migrant, and mobile workers.
The strengthening of the response system follows Lee Jae-myung's emphasis on an all-out response. On the 6th, Lee ordered minimizing damage to the public from the heat wave at a "heat wave and drought response review meeting."
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters will also hold a "Central Disaster and Safety Headquarters meeting on heat wave disaster response" on the 9th with relevant ministries participating. The meeting will comprehensively review each agency's response and discuss additional measures to prepare for a prolonged heat wave.
Yoon Ho-jung, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of the Interior and Safety), said, "We will respond closely with relevant ministries and local governments, centered on the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, to deal with the extreme heat wave," adding, "We will focus all administrative resources to ensure that heat wave and drought measures operate seamlessly in the field."