PM Han warns of expanded extreme heat alerts after weekend, vows to minimize damage

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook warned Friday that the coming week would require heightened vigilance, saying extreme heat alerts could be expanded after the weekend.

Han made the remarks while presiding over a heat wave and drought response review meeting at Government Complex Seoul. "The government will do everything in its power to minimize damage from the heat wave, which is expected to persist for now," she said, adding that "this is the time to do our utmost to minimize heat wave damage." She urged each ministry to review its heat response measures again.

Han directed the Ministry of Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Health and Welfare to work with local governments to closely monitor the safety of vulnerable groups — including residents of low-income single-room housing, elderly people living alone and the homeless — and to conduct ongoing inspections of cooling shelters. She also instructed the Ministry of Employment and Labor to actively share cooling shelter information to help prevent heat-related illness among outdoor workers, delivery drivers and other mobile workers.

She called on the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to take proactive steps to ensure timely on-site support, including water supply and operation of equipment to counter high water temperatures. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment was directed to strengthen coordinated management of dams, reservoirs and rivers, and to closely monitor the supply of residential and industrial water in drought-prone areas.

Han also asked officials to look after their own health and safety during the heat, and appealed to the public to avoid outdoor activities during midday hours as much as possible, drink plenty of water and check in on the well-being of their neighbors.