The Democratic Party of Korea and the government held a meeting on heat wave responses on the 15th to review and discuss comprehensive measures concerning industrial accidents, agricultural damage, and power supply issues due to the worst heat wave in history.
After the meeting held at the National Assembly, Lee Jeong-moon, the chief policy officer, noted, "We reviewed the heat wave measures for each sector and discussed specific plans for strengthening practical responses in each area."
The Democratic Party stated that it would first alleviate the electricity price tier for July and August on the 15th and expand the limit for electricity bill reductions to 20,000 won per month to reduce the public's burden of electricity costs due to air conditioning. This reiterated the government’s ‘heat wave measures.’
Kim Won-hee, a member of the Democratic Party and the ruling party's secretary for the Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs, and Startups Committee, said, "The government and ruling party will thoroughly manage to ensure that there is no inconvenience to the public's electricity use during the heat wave by securing sufficient power supply capacity."
Earlier, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 10th that it would ease the electricity price tiers for the heat wave in July and August. The first tier (basic charge 910 won, electricity charge 120 won/kWh) will be expanded from the existing 0~200 kWh to 0~300 kWh, and the second tier (basic charge 1,600 won, electricity charge 214.6 won) will increase the upper limit from 400 kWh to 450 kWh. The easing of the electricity price tiers for dwellings is a system that increases the range of sections where electricity costs become more expensive, which has been in operation since 2019.
Representative Kim also emphasized, "The party plans to support vulnerable groups, such as low-income individuals who are struggling in the heat wave, to ensure they are not left out." In this regard, the Ministry of Energy noted that it had begun to distribute maximum energy vouchers of 701,300 won since the 1st, and had also introduced support measures for vulnerable groups by raising the limit for electricity bill reductions to a maximum of 20,000 won per month.
◇Increase of heat-related illnesses by 2.9 times… 50 billion won invested in heat wave measures
Chae Hyun-il, a deputy floor leader of the Democratic Party, emphasized, "As of July 13, there have been 1,507 cases of heat-related illnesses, including 9 fatalities, which is a 2.9-fold increase compared to the previous year," adding that "This is occurring across all age groups." He particularly pointed out that cases are arising in various locations such as indoor workplaces, roadsides, and fields, indicating a need for comprehensive responses.
In this regard, the Ministry of Interior and Safety announced that it had injected a total of 50 billion won into heat wave measures, including checking the operation of heat wave shelters in cooperation with local governments and supporting preventive supplies for vulnerable groups and water supply trucks for livestock farmers.
◇Application of '5 Heat Safety Rules' in industrial sites… Protection for delivery and migrant workers
Kim Ju-young, a member of the Environment and Labor Committee in the National Assembly, emphasized, "The Industrial Safety and Health Regulations will take effect from July 17." The revised regulations include rules that must be followed on-site such as ▲ breaks of more than 20 minutes every two hours during heat wave work ▲ provision of cooling devices and refrigerators ▲ providing cool water ▲ and reporting to 119.
The government and ruling party also announced that they are operating a heat wave response team for high-risk business sites, including construction, shipbuilding, and logistics, from May 30 to September 30, and that surprise inspections will be conducted. Additionally, to protect mobile workers such as delivery and parcel workers, they plan to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between local governments and platform operators and proactively encourage the provision of ice water and secured break times. They emphasize strengthening cooperation systems to ensure vulnerable workers, such as migrant workers, are not left out.
◇Cooling vests and heat alert badges provided in agricultural sites… Task force for livestock damage also operated
Regarding agricultural measures, Representative Lee Jeong-moon stated, "There have been numerous cases of heat-related illnesses in rice paddies and greenhouses, as well as reports of livestock deaths such as pigs and chickens. We will repeatedly advise them to suspend agricultural work during 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., especially for elderly farmers and foreign workers."
Additionally, the working hours of public seasonal workers will be adjusted to the morning, and support will be provided for air-cooling vests and heat alert badges that change color based on temperature. Moreover, they plan to monitor the growth status of crops and livestock through task forces and supply emergency water and medical supplies.
During the meeting, the need for a long-term strategy to respond to the climate crisis beyond just heat wave responses was also mentioned.
Representative Kim Won-hee said, "This year's heat wave is just the beginning, and it has been mentioned that long-term measures are needed for climate crisis response." Representative Lee Jeong-moon indicated that there were also opinions suggesting the creation of a basic law on climate crisis response, hinting that there may be institutional discussions at the National Assembly level in the future.
Jin Sung-jun, the head of the Democratic Party's policy committee, also emphasized during the earlier remarks at the meeting, "The prices of agricultural and marine products are rising due to the heat wave, and a mid- to long-term strategy for 'heat inflation' must be established."