[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung has classified the ongoing heatwave as a national climate disaster. He emphasized that administrative power must be focused to prevent casualties among vulnerable populations, such as residents in gowons and jjokbangchon (impoverished makeshift housing), as well as outdoor laborers.

Reporter Kang Cheongwan has the details.

[Reporter]

President Lee Jae-myung presided over a meeting of senior secretaries at the Blue House.

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

Noting that the unprecedented heatwave is severely threatening the lives of citizens, he ordered an all-out, government-wide response.

[President Lee Jae-myung: With a higher level of urgency than ever before, we must maximize the level, scope, and speed of our policy responses.]

Stressing that the top priority is to protect the lives and safety of the public, President Lee called for concentrating administrative resources to ensure the safety of vulnerable groups, particularly residents of gosiwons and jjokbangchon, as well as outdoor workers at construction sites, farming, and fishing communities.

[President Lee Jae-myung: We must never let a citizen's life or death depend on where they live or where they work.]

He also called for improvements to related infrastructure—such as housing, water supply facilities, power grids, and heatwave response facilities—tailored to climate disaster conditions that have become the new normal.

Earlier, during a heatwave and drought situation inspection meeting held at the Government Complex Seoul, President Lee received video reports from provincial governors and other officials. 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 implementation of alternative water supply measures and the operation of pumping equipment.

(Video reporting: Ha Ryung, Yoon Hyung | Video editing: Wi Wonyang)