Regarding the nationwide heatwave, President Lee Jae-myung stated, "We must view the current situation as a national disaster and make every possible effort to swiftly and flawlessly implement necessary measures to protect the lives of the people."

President Lee made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting he presided over at the Blue House on the 4th, saying, "Record-breaking heatwaves continue day after day across the country, making it difficult for citizens to even carry out their daily lives."

"Above all, the most urgent task is to protect people's lives," he said, adding, "Please carefully review the support measures for vulnerable groups, such as residents in jjogbangchon (impoverished guesthouses) and elderly people living alone, and meticulously look after the safety management of workers in outdoor workplaces and confined spaces."

He also ordered, "In particular, we must intensively inspect sites to ensure that workers' rights to halt work operate effectively. We must also strive to additionally expand heatwave shelters and increase their utilization rates. Along with financial support from the central government, such as special allocation taxes for heavily affected areas, emergency water supply measures for drought-stricken farms must be expedited."

In addition, President Lee emphasized, "We must preemptively check power supply and demand issues caused by the surge in cooling demand, and fundamentally redesign our disaster system in response to the normalization of extreme weather. We must further heighten pan-national awareness of the risks posed by heatwaves."

(Photo provided by the Blue House Press Corps, Yonhap News)