"National Climate Disaster"... Orders Improvement for 'Response Infrastructure'

[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung has effectively defined the ongoing heatwave as a national climate disaster. He instructed officials to make every effort to prevent casualties among outdoor workers and residents in makeshift housing areas amid such weather, while also calling for improvements to infrastructure such as power grids.

Reporter Kang Cheongwan has the details.

[Reporter]

President Lee Jae-myung presided over a senior secretaries' meeting at the Cheong Wa Dae.

[President Lee Jae-myung: This is effectively a national climate disaster situation.]

Stating that the unprecedented heatwave severely threatens the lives of citizens, he ordered a total government-wide response.

[President Lee Jae-myung: With a sense of urgency higher than ever before, we must raise the level, scope, and speed of our policy response to the maximum.]

Emphasizing that "the top priority is to protect the lives and safety of the people," President Lee urged, "Administrative focus must be concentrated on ensuring the safety of vulnerable groups, particularly residents in gosiwon and impoverished makeshift housing areas, as well as outdoor workers at construction sites, farming, and fishing communities."

[President Lee Jae-myung: A situation where the life and death of citizens depend on where they live or where they work must never happen.]

In line with climate disasters becoming the new normal, he also ordered improvements to related infrastructure such as housing, water supply facilities, power grids, and heatwave response facilities.

Earlier, during a meeting held at the Government Complex Seoul to inspect the heatwave and drought situation, President Lee received video reports from provincial governors and mayors. Noting that there is no rain forecast for the time being, he called for proactive responses to the worsening drought in the southern regions, including the active promotion of alternative water supply and the operation of pumping equipment.

(Video reporting: Ha Ryong, Yoon Hyung | Video editing: Wi Won-yang)

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