Gyeonggi Province Reports 89 Heat-Related Illness Cases, Raises Emergency Disaster Response to Level 2 at 3 p.m. on July 9

On July 9 at 3:00 p.m., Gyeonggi Province raised the emergency level of its Heatwave Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters to Level 2. As a result, the Gyeonggi Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters will have the Head of Natural Disasters oversee the management of the heatwave situation.

The decision to raise the emergency level was made in response to the highest daily number of heat-related illness cases since 2018, when heatwaves were officially designated as disasters and 61 cases were reported in a single day. According to statistics from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (as of July 8), there were 89 cases of heat-related illness reported in the province.

With the escalation to Emergency Level 2, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dongyeon issued special instructions to all cities and counties, urging them to make every effort to prevent casualties and minimize damage through prompt and thorough response.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

The detailed instructions include: ▲ Each city and county should establish a thorough response system led by the deputy head to prevent heat-related casualties among residents ▲ All available personnel and resources, such as life support workers and local volunteer disaster prevention teams, should be mobilized to strengthen protection activities for vulnerable groups, including regular welfare checks ▲ Disaster safety text alerts, village broadcasts, and electronic displays should be used to urge farmers, fishermen, and outdoor workers to refrain from working during the hottest hours of the day.

Governor Kim Dongyeon stated, "To prevent casualties among those vulnerable to the heatwave, cities and counties should strengthen their preventive measures, and residents are advised to refrain from outdoor work and take breaks during the hottest hours from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m."

Earlier, Gyeonggi Province activated its Heatwave Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters at 1:00 p.m. on July 7, following the Korea Meteorological Administration's expanded heatwave advisory announcement.