Interior ministry convenes heat-wave response meeting as alerts widen

The interior ministry said Monday that the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters convened a review meeting under a level-two emergency response as prolonged heat waves continued across South Korea.

At the meeting chaired by Kim Gwang-yong, central agencies and local governments reviewed emergency measures. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast that heat waves and tropical nights would continue, driven by the North Pacific high and the Tibetan high. The government said it had dispatched field situation managers to check response measures as heat alerts expanded nationwide.

Officials were told to prioritize checks on vulnerable older people, residents of single-room housing and homeless people, while inspecting heat-relief shelters. Areas facing persistent heat alerts and tropical nights were asked to extend shelter operating hours. The government also ordered authorities to use public broadcasters, disaster text messages, electronic display boards and village broadcasts to repeatedly provide heat-wave information and safety guidance. Authorities must ensure work at construction sites and logistics centers is adjusted and workers receive sufficient rest. The government also called for messages discouraging farmers from strenuous outdoor work and expanded use of local safety networks for monitoring.

Officials were asked to provide preventive supplies and response equipment to livestock and aquaculture facilities to prevent heat damage and address high water temperatures. They were also directed to strengthen inspections of roads and railways and take swift action against heat-related damage, including road buckling and rail deformation.

"Given the gravity of the situation, with the level-two emergency response in operation, relevant agencies must maintain the highest level of readiness and mobilize all available administrative resources to minimize casualties," Kim Gwang-yong, deputy head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said.