South Korea's Lee urges stepped-up support as heatwave deaths rise to 16

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called Tuesday for enhanced support for citizens grappling with a record-breaking heatwave that has claimed at least 16 lives. He warned that extreme weather events are becoming the new normal and stressed the urgency of adapting the nation's crisis response systems.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Lee directed officials to implement necessary measures to safeguard public well-being and to thoroughly inspect power infrastructure amid surging demand for air conditioning. "We need to make efforts for a fundamental overhaul of the national crisis system, since this extreme weather is becoming normal," he stated.

The nation's weather agency reported that Yangsan, a southeastern inland city, registered a scorching 42.5 degrees Celsius (108.5 degrees Fahrenheit) on Sunday. This reading marks the highest temperature recorded in South Korea in 122 years of meteorological observation.

In response to the escalating temperatures, the Korea Meteorological Administration issued its first-ever heatwave warning for parts of Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi province on Monday. The warning was extended to encompass all of the capital region on Tuesday, highlighting the widespread nature of the extreme heat.

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We need to make efforts for a fundamental overhaul of the national crisis system, since this extreme weather is becoming normal.