23 Dead in Heatwave as Government Response System Is Strengthened

[Financial News] As the heatwave continues day after day, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCHQ) is strengthening the government-wide response system. 
According to CDSCHQ on the 8th, 23 people had died from heat-related illnesses this year as of the 6th, and 19 of them, or 82.6%, were aged 65 or older. Of the fatalities, 7 people, or 30%, died in rural areas such as fields and paddies, while 6 others, or 26.1%, died at indoor and outdoor workplaces.
In response, the government plans to concentrate administrative resources on field-based measures to prevent casualties, especially among older adults, in farming sites, and at indoor and outdoor workplaces. In particular, with CDSCHQ at the center, it will set up emergency response bodies, including a disaster recovery support headquarters, at relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), and the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL), to strengthen its response.
MAFRA will focus on protecting older farmers and preventing damage in the agriculture and livestock sectors. It will visit elderly farmers to distribute cooling supplies and provide mobile medical services through rural clinic buses. It will also expand the distribution of preventive items, such as heat-stress stabilizers, to minimize damage to livestock and crops.
MOHW will push measures to protect vulnerable groups, including seniors living alone. It also plans to continue checking how senior centers are being operated as heat shelters, so that people aged 65 and older can use them safely.
MOEL will oversee workplace inspections and supervision. It plans to review whether heatwave-related work stoppage measures are being properly carried out at workplaces vulnerable to extreme heat, such as construction sites and logistics centers.
CDSCHQ will hold a "CDSCHQ meeting on heatwave disaster response" on the 9th with relevant ministries to comprehensively review each agency's response. It will also discuss additional measures to prepare for a prolonged heatwave.
Yoon Ho-jung, head of CDSCHQ and Minister of the Interior and Safety, said, "We will concentrate all administrative resources so that heatwave and drought measures work without gaps on the ground," adding, "We will activate a government-wide all-out response system with the protection of the public's lives and safety as our top priority."
[email protected] Lee Jumi Reporter