President Lee visits national emergency center to review heat wave, drought response

President Lee Jae Myung visited the Central Disaster and Safety Situation Room at the Government Complex Seoul on Thursday to chair a review meeting on the government's response to the ongoing heat wave and drought. The visit came as damage from record-breaking heat and dry conditions continued to mount, with Lee seeking to assess the situation firsthand and order an all-out government response.

Lee received briefings from the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare on current heat wave and drought response measures and future plans. He reviewed efforts to protect vulnerable groups, minimize damage to agriculture and livestock, and ensure the safety of outdoor workers.

The on-site inspection followed Lee's repeated calls for a pan-government response after he declared the heat wave a national disaster.

At a Cabinet meeting Wednesday, Lee directed ministers to "treat the current situation as a national disaster and spare no effort to protect people's lives," adding that "necessary measures must be pushed forward swiftly and without gaps."

He particularly instructed related ministries to draw up protection measures for vulnerable groups, prevent damage to agriculture and livestock, and ensure the safety of outdoor workers at construction sites and other open-air workplaces.

The Central Disaster and Safety Situation Room serves as the government's disaster management control tower, operating around the clock to monitor, respond to and support recovery from large-scale emergencies.

It is unusual for a sitting president to visit the Central Disaster and Safety Situation Room in person to chair a meeting on heat wave response.

Cheong Wa Dae said the government would continue its pan-government response to minimize heat wave damage.

The presidential office's communications secretary said in a radio interview Thursday that "public health comes above all else in a heat wave like this," adding that "the government, together with local authorities, will spare no effort in operating cooling centers, protecting vulnerable groups and managing the safety of workers on the ground."

Meanwhile, the heat wave gripping Seoul and the greater metropolitan area showed no sign of letting up, with just one day remaining before Ipchu, the traditional solar term marking the start of autumn. Daytime highs were forecast to reach 39 degrees Celsius across the metropolitan area. Even after sunset, temperatures remained oppressive, extending a tropical night streak to 15 consecutive days. Extreme heat alerts are currently in effect for 30 zones across the greater Seoul area and 31 zones including Gwangju and Gwangyang in South Jeolla Province.

Temperatures in some parts of Seoul were forecast to approach 40 degrees Celsius at their peak Thursday — potentially nearing the city's all-time record high of 39.6 degrees, set Aug. 1, 2018, the highest since weather observations began in 1907. The KDCA reported 39 heat-related illness cases in Seoul on Tuesday, with daily case counts hitting new highs every day this month.

The Korea Meteorological Administration strongly advised the public to avoid outdoor activities, warning that "extreme heat is expected, particularly in the metropolitan area and parts of South Jeolla Province, where extreme heat alerts are in effect."