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🇰🇷 South Korea /Disasters & Emergencies

Presidential office warns of strong heatwave, urges all-out effort to prevent casualties

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Context piece
  • South Korea's presidential office has warned of a strong heatwave this summer, urging all government ministries to mobilize to prevent any heat-related casualties.
  • The office noted the early onset of heat-related illnesses this year and the potential for more severe heat due to El Niño.
  • It also called for fundamental solutions to recurring issues of illegal sports streaming sites and the distribution of digital sex crimes, which are luring users to illegal gambling.

South Korea's presidential office has directed all government ministries to exert maximum effort to prevent any preventable casualties from the anticipated strong heatwave this summer. The urgency stems from the early onset of heat-related illnesses, with the first recorded death occurring on May 15, significantly earlier than usual.

The first heat-related death occurred on May 15, the earliest on record. This year, due to the influence of El Niño, a stronger heatwave than usual is expected.

· Kang Hoon-sikChief Secretary to the President, highlighting the early onset of heat-related illnesses and the forecast for a severe summer.

Kang Hoon-sik, Chief Secretary to the President, chaired a meeting where the Ministry of the Interior and Safety was tasked with expanding and operating cooling centers early. The Ministry of Employment and Labor was instructed to review safety guidelines for outdoor workers and ensure thorough on-site management. Kang highlighted concerns that the influence of El Niño could lead to a more intense heatwave than in previous years.

Beyond the immediate threat of heat, the presidential office also addressed the persistent problems of illegal sports streaming sites and the distribution of digital sex crimes. Kang pointed out that these issues continue to plague the nation with only superficial remedies, leading to an increase in victims. He noted that illegal sports streaming sites lure users into illegal gambling by offering free viewing, with over 20,000 reports of illegal sports gambling filed in 2024 alone. The office stressed that piecemeal solutions are insufficient and called for fundamental changes to the system to protect citizens.

Despite the repeated occurrence of illegal sports streaming sites and the distribution of digital sex crimes, victims are increasing without fundamental solutions, relying only on stopgap measures.

· Kang Hoon-sikChief Secretary to the President, criticizing the inadequate response to online illegal activities.

In response, the presidential office has ordered the immediate formation of a task force comprising the Civil Affairs, Social Affairs, Public Relations and Communication, and AI Future Planning Secretariats. This task force is expected to develop practical and concrete countermeasures to address these pressing issues.

Patchwork solutions can no longer protect the public, so fundamental measures that change the structure itself are needed.

· Kang Hoon-sikChief Secretary to the President, emphasizing the need for systemic reform to combat illegal online activities.
About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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