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Kim Kwang-yong, head of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, visits a shelter for mobile workers in the Daejeon area on the 13th to inspect facility operation status and heatwave response conditions. / Courtesy of Ministry of the Interior and Safety

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that it adjusted upward the heatwave crisis alert level from the "interest" stage to the "caution" stage as of 5 p.m. on the 29th.

This crisis alert escalation is a preemptive measure following expectations that the sweltering heat will persist for the time being, amid a situation where heatwave advisories took effect in 24 zones out of 235 special weather report zones nationwide due to the recent rapid rise in temperatures. The heatwave crisis alert stages are issued in the order of interest-caution-alert-severe.

Accordingly, in line with the crisis alert escalation, the Ministry reinforced monitoring and cooling supply support for vulnerable groups under heatwaves—including the elderly vulnerable to heat, residents of dosshouses, and farmers—and particularly requested ensuring sufficient rest at construction sites and complying with heatwave prevention rules.

In tandem with this, the Ministry emphasized that local governments should ensure thoroughness in safety management for each sector, such as operating cooling centers and heatwave reduction facilities flexibly in accordance with weather advisory situations.

Kim Kwang-yong, head of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters at the Ministry, requested, "As the heatwave is projected to persist for the time being, the government will respond to the heatwave preemptively by mobilizing all available resources," adding, "We also ask citizens to refrain from outdoor activities during hot hours and take sufficient rest."

                                                                                                           Kim Bo-young