Number of Heat-Related Illnesses 2.9 Times Higher Than Last Year
Deaths Rise from 3 to 9
Urgent Measures Needed as Government and Local Authorities Respond
As record-breaking heatwaves continue across the country, there has been a surge in livestock deaths and heat-related illnesses, resulting in ongoing damage to both lives and property. Government agencies have begun preparing countermeasures focused on vulnerable groups, and local governments have also started on-site inspections.
According to the "Daily National Safety Management Situation" announced by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on July 12, a total of 78,630 livestock died in a single day on July 10. Of these, 77,535 were poultry such as chickens, accounting for the vast majority, while the remaining 1,095 were pigs.
From May 20 of this year to July 10, the cumulative number of livestock deaths reached 604,636, which is 11.4 times higher than the same period last year (53,238).
As of the same day, there were also 76 new cases of heat-related illnesses, bringing the cumulative total to 1,424. This is 2.9 times higher than the same period last year (495 cases). The number of deaths reached nine, which is six more than last year's three.
The heatwave is expected to continue on July 12, with the maximum perceived temperature in western and inland regions forecast to reach around 35 degrees Celsius, resulting in extremely hot conditions. In addition, many areas in the western regions are expected to experience tropical nights.
In response, government agencies such as the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the Rural Development Administration have begun their own inspections and are preparing measures for vulnerable groups, including elderly people living alone, residents of makeshift housing, and field workers.
For example, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety distributed special disaster relief funds related to heatwaves and droughts the previous day and held a forum on heatwave countermeasures. The ministry also provided guidelines for public action in response to heatwaves and instructed preventive activities. Kim Kwangyong, head of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, inspected the operation of temporary housing facilities in wildfire-affected areas of North Gyeongsang Province and checked safety management facilities in water recreation areas on this day.
Local governments have also taken action. On the morning of July 12, Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon visited Konkuk University Station and Ttukseom Station on Subway Line 2 to inspect customer waiting rooms and the operation of auxiliary cooling devices. In Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, the city temporarily suspended the "2025 On-site Dialogue with Citizens," a communication initiative led by Mayor Woo Beomgi, due to the heatwave. Instead, officials plan to visit cooling centers and senior centers to listen to residents' concerns and respond to the heatwave through meetings with local leaders.
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