President Lee Jae Myung calls for national crisis system overhaul as South Korea records all-time high temperature
President Lee Jae Myung addressed a cabinet meeting on Tuesday to call for a fundamental overhaul of the national crisis system as South Korea faces a record-breaking heatwave. The country recorded its highest temperature in 122 years of observations, with the southeastern city of Yangsan reaching 42.5C on Sunday. This extreme weather has resulted in 16 fatalities and over 2,000 people treated for heat-related illnesses since May. Seoul authorities have launched initiatives to mitigate the heat, including spraying water on roads and conducting health checks on 63,000 vulnerable residents. The Korea Meteorological Administration attributed the heatwave to overlapping high-pressure systems and strong sunlight. Scientists note that human-induced climate change is making such extreme weather events more frequent and intense. The heatwave is also affecting neighboring Japan, where temperatures over 100F have complicated earthquake recovery efforts in Kumamoto prefecture. Meanwhile, wildfires continue to be fueled by high temperatures across Greece, Spain, France, and North Africa.