The government initiated a “Level 2” emergency operation of the disaster response headquarters Thursday in response to the nationwide scorching heat.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said it had raised the level of emergency duty of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters as of 5:00 p.m., expecting the number of areas with an apparent temperature of over 35 C for the next three days to exceed 108.
It marks the first time in history that the disaster headquarters has operated at Level 2 due to a heat wave.
The searing heat wave has been gripping South Korea for over a week, with the highest temperatures climbing from 33 C to 38 C across the nation Thursday.
The government runs the headquarters in three stages — with the third stage being the highest — to prepare against disasters or crises, respond to their aftermath and cope with post-disaster restoration efforts.
The four-level heat alert was raised to the highest level of “red” Tuesday for the first time since 2019.
The ministry, meanwhile, vowed to allocate 6 billion won (US$4.61 million) to cope with the heat, including 3 billion won for North Jeolla Province, which is currently hosting the 25th World Scout Jamboree.
A total of 108 people were taken to hospitals during the opening ceremony of the jamboree event with symptoms of heat-related illness, two days after the event kicked off amid scorching heat.
The budget will be used for the installation of additional cooling systems and to provide emergency supplies.
The headquarters has also urged the health ministry to enhance monitoring efforts for vulnerable individuals, including the homeless.
Amid the scorching heat, the headquarters also said around 165,000 units of livestock, including 156,297 chickens, have died due to the heat since June 19.
Source: Yonhap News Agency