Jeju Province has raised its heatwave response level following the first heat-related death of the year on the island.

Jeju Province announced today (July 21) that one patient hospitalized with a heat-related illness has passed away, marking the first such fatality this year.

The deceased was a woman in her 80s who was transported to a hospital on July 16 after showing symptoms of reduced consciousness and difficulty breathing at a residence in Jeju City. She passed away while receiving treatment on July 20.

According to the provincial government, the cumulative number of heat-related illness patients in the Jeju region reached 35 as of July 20, an increase of 4 compared to the same period last year.

With heatwave warnings in effect across the entire province, the Jeju Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters activated its Level 1 emergency response on July 19, more than 15 days earlier than last year.

Jeju Province held a meeting today presided over by Governor Wi Seong-gon to review measures for heatwaves and drought, checking safety protocols for vulnerable groups, outdoor workers, and prevention strategies for damages in the agriculture, livestock, and fisheries sectors.

The province has deployed 8,589 disaster relief assistants to check on the well-being of approximately 156,600 people vulnerable to heatwaves, including elderly residents living alone, people with disabilities, and farmers and fishers, at least once a day while heatwave warnings are in effect.

The province also plans to inspect the air conditioning status of 632 designated cooling centers and expand their operating hours to include nights and weekends.

Furthermore, the province decided to strengthen patrols of mid-mountain farmland using artificial intelligence (AI) drones operated by the Autonomous Police, operate shelters for mobile workers and mobile health check-up/rest vehicles, and reinforce inspections of agricultural water supply facilities and responses to high water temperatures.

Jeju Governor Wi Seong-gon stated, "A heatwave is not merely a situation of high temperatures, but a disaster situation that threatens the health, lives, and daily routines of our residents," adding, "Please thoroughly verify that our response systems are functioning properly in the field to ensure no further loss of life occurs."

(Photo: Yonhap News)