Interior ministry steps up heat-wave protections for vulnerable groups

South Korea's interior ministry said Sunday it convened a governmentwide heat-wave response meeting and asked agencies and local governments to strengthen safeguards for vulnerable people, particularly older farmers and outdoor workers.

The meeting, chaired by Kim Gwang-yong at 11 a.m., reviewed the response measures and public-information work of accident-recovery support headquarters set up by the agriculture, health and labor ministries. Agencies also discussed measures to reduce damage as the heat wave continued.

“The success of the strengthened governmentwide response system depends on how well it protects people's lives and safety in the field,” Kim, deputy head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said.

The agriculture ministry elevated its disaster-response situation room to an accident-recovery support headquarters headed by its vice minister and began a special heat-wave and drought management period on Aug. 7. The health ministry is operating a 24-hour heat-wave emergency countermeasures headquarters headed by its first vice minister. The central headquarters also called for stronger heat-illness prevention work, including patrols using drones and vehicles and village broadcasts urging residents to refrain from farm work. During serious heat-wave warnings, local safety workers will check high-risk older residents twice daily, while outdoor activities under senior employment programs will be suspended and replaced with indoor activities. The labor ministry is inspecting construction sites, logistics centers and other vulnerable workplaces through Aug. 14.

The climate, energy and environment ministry is expanding a door-to-door energy welfare service for low-income households that have not applied for or used energy vouchers, reaching 123,000 households in 2026 from 47,000 in 2025. It is also postponing electricity-current restrictions for low-income households with unpaid bills during the hottest period. The fisheries ministry increased funding for equipment such as liquid-oxygen suppliers to prevent high water-temperature damage by 1.8 billion won to 9.4 billion won ($6.63 million).