Prime Minister Han Seong-sook presides over a meeting to review heatwave and drought response measures at the Seoul Situation Center of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Friday. [Yonhap]
Prime Minister Han Seong-sook presides over a meeting to review heatwave and drought response measures at the Seoul Situation Center of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Friday. [Yonhap]

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook on Sunday issued emergency directives to related ministries and local governments, calling for active responses to heatwave and drought damage within their respective areas of responsibility.

To address the prolonged nationwide heatwave, the government raised the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters to Level 2 at 1 p.m. Sunday, strengthening the pan-government response.

Han called on the Ministry of Health and Welfare to reinforce protective measures for vulnerable groups — including elderly people living alone and residents of low-income lodging houses — by checking cooling system operation at facilities they use and conducting regular welfare checks. She directed the Ministry of Employment and Labor to inspect and enforce compliance with basic heatwave safety rules at logistics centers and construction sites, including work stoppages during the hottest hours of the day.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs was instructed to use village broadcasts to urge elderly farmers to refrain from strenuous outdoor fieldwork and to conduct on-site inspections in cooperation with local governments.

Han directed the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy to conduct frequent checks on power reserve margins to ensure stable electricity supply despite surging cooling demand, and to closely monitor household and regional water supply conditions in drought-vulnerable areas.

She also called on the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to provide support to minimize livestock and farmed fish deaths.

In addition, Han ordered the Ministry of Interior and Safety to review the progress of heatwave countermeasures across ministries and local governments and to actively coordinate cross-ministry efforts to ensure an integrated response.

She also urged local governments to continue visiting heatwave sites and thoroughly inspect the operation of cooling shelters and other facilities.


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