President Lee orders all-out response to record-breaking heat wave, calling it a national disaster

[Financial News] On the 4th, President Lee Jae-myung ordered officials to treat the nationwide record-breaking heat wave as a national disaster and to move quickly and thoroughly with all necessary measures to protect people’s lives.
In his opening remarks at the 34th State Council meeting, which he chaired at Cheong Wa Dae that day, Lee said, "With an unprecedented heat wave exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in some southern regions continuing for several days, even daily life has become difficult for the public." He added that the government should mobilize all resources and push ahead with needed measures without delay or gaps.
Lee noted that heat-related illnesses since May have approached 2,000 cases and that 16 people have died. He stressed that "the most urgent task is to protect the lives of the people." He also said the losses from mass deaths of livestock and farmed fish, as well as damage to crops, were very large.
He also called for careful reviews of support measures for vulnerable groups, including residents of jjokbangchon and elderly people living alone. He urged stronger safety management for workers in outdoor sites and enclosed spaces, and asked for focused inspections so that workers’ right to stop work can function in practice.
Lee also ordered the expansion of heat wave shelters, efforts to raise their usage rates, and central government financial support such as special grants for areas hit hardest by the damage. He further called for emergency water supply measures for farms affected by drought and for a proactive review of power supply and demand as cooling demand surges.
Lee said, "Extreme weather caused by abnormal climate patterns is likely to continue for a considerable period," adding, "We also need efforts to fundamentally redesign the disaster response system in line with the normalization of extreme climate."
He also urged relevant ministries to move quickly on follow-up measures after completing his 11-day trip to the United States and South America.
Lee described the trip as one that "further strengthened the foundation for a high-tech industrial powerhouse and raised the country's standing as a responsible global leader to a new level." He cited strengthened partnerships with global big tech through the San Francisco AI Declaration, cooperation on supply chains for key raw materials such as copper and lithium in South America, and defense cooperation with Brazil as major achievements.
He then said, "I ask the ministers of the relevant ministries to take swift and seamless follow-up measures so that this trip can serve as a foundation for opening a better future for the Republic of Korea and lead to tangible improvements in people's lives."

[email protected] Sung Seok-woo Reporter