The first insurance payout for a heat-related illness has been made under the "Gyeonggi Climate Insurance," one of the flagship initiatives of Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dongyeon.
On June 19, Gyeonggi Province announced that a resident in their 50s living in Gunpo City visited a medical institution in early June due to symptoms such as dizziness experienced during outdoor activities and was diagnosed with heat exhaustion. As a result, a payout of 100,000 won was made under the heat-related illness coverage of the Gyeonggi Climate Insurance.
The Gyeonggi Climate Insurance is a policy insurance program introduced by Gyeonggi Province on April 11, 2025, for the first time in the country. It aims to prepare for health damages caused by the climate crisis and to establish a safety net for all residents, including those vulnerable to climate risks.
All residents are automatically enrolled without any application process. Lump-sum insurance payouts are provided for the following: heat- and cold-related illnesses (such as heatstroke and hypothermia) caused by heat waves or cold spells; certain infectious diseases (such as malaria and tsutsugamushi disease); and other injuries related to climate disasters.
This case of a heat-related illness is the 13th insurance payout since the launch of the Gyeonggi Climate Insurance. The first case involved support for a patient diagnosed with malaria in mid-April.
Gyeonggi Province plans to strengthen targeted publicity about the climate insurance and provide customized guidance for climate-vulnerable groups in preparation for summer heat waves.
Park Daekeun, Director of the Environmental Health and Safety Division of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Climate disasters are now an everyday risk," and added, "We will continue to improve and expand the Gyeonggi Climate Insurance so that it can serve as a practical system to protect residents' right to health."
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