Song Mi-ryeong, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, stated, "As heat waves continue, we will mobilize all available resources to prevent heat-related illnesses among farmers and foreign workers."
On August 6, Minister Song visited a heat relief center operated by a local agricultural cooperative in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, to assess measures for preventing heat-related illnesses among local farmers and foreign workers. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that it will work closely with the Korea Forest Service, the Rural Development Administration, the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service, and local governments to respond comprehensively to the ongoing heat wave and drought.
As of today, there have been 381 reported cases of heat-related illnesses in rural areas, with five fatalities. With forecasts indicating that this year's heat wave may be more severe than last year's, the government is strengthening its alert status.
The Ministry of Agriculture will activate a 24-hour emergency response system centered at the Agricultural Disaster Response Center. This system will monitor daily damage to farmers, foreign workers, and agricultural products, hold situation meetings when heat advisories are issued, send disaster text alerts, and disseminate guidelines for responding to heat waves.
Efforts to prevent heat-related illnesses among farmers and foreign workers will also be expanded. The Korea Forest Service will utilize drones and vehicles for surveillance activities. Additionally, starting this year, personnel dedicated to preventing heat-related illnesses will be deployed to distribute preventive supplies and conduct vehicle patrols in nearby fields and greenhouses.
On-site guidance to reduce heat-related damage among foreign workers will be intensified. The first half of August has been designated as a period for focused management of foreign workers' responses to the heat, with inspections conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Community broadcasts and multilingual text messages will also be used to encourage the suspension of outdoor work during peak heat hours.
Support to minimize damage to agricultural products is also being accelerated. The ministry plans to expand 'mobile watering support' using disinfection vehicles to reduce temperatures in livestock facilities and has allocated a budget of 68.7 billion won for preventive supplies, including cooling equipment and stress relief agents. To maintain crop yields, the ministry will support the application of nutrients and pest control, and secure stockpiles of cabbage and radish for market stability.
Measures to mitigate drought damage are also underway. Currently, 50 cities and counties in the southern region have entered a drought crisis stage, and the Ministry of Agriculture, along with local governments, is implementing water supply measures, including filling reservoirs, dredging riverbeds, and deploying 11,930 mobile pumps. Additionally, 22 forest fire-fighting vehicles from the Korea Forest Service are being mobilized to supply 500 tons of water daily in preparation for prolonged drought conditions.
Minister Song emphasized, "We will strengthen on-site actions through enhanced surveillance, expanded inspections, and campaign activities in collaboration with relevant agencies, and we will strive to minimize heat-related illnesses among farmers and damage to agricultural products."
On August 6, Minister Song visited a heat relief center operated by a local agricultural cooperative in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, to assess measures for preventing heat-related illnesses among local farmers and foreign workers. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced that it will work closely with the Korea Forest Service, the Rural Development Administration, the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service, and local governments to respond comprehensively to the ongoing heat wave and drought.
As of today, there have been 381 reported cases of heat-related illnesses in rural areas, with five fatalities. With forecasts indicating that this year's heat wave may be more severe than last year's, the government is strengthening its alert status.
The Ministry of Agriculture will activate a 24-hour emergency response system centered at the Agricultural Disaster Response Center. This system will monitor daily damage to farmers, foreign workers, and agricultural products, hold situation meetings when heat advisories are issued, send disaster text alerts, and disseminate guidelines for responding to heat waves.
Efforts to prevent heat-related illnesses among farmers and foreign workers will also be expanded. The Korea Forest Service will utilize drones and vehicles for surveillance activities. Additionally, starting this year, personnel dedicated to preventing heat-related illnesses will be deployed to distribute preventive supplies and conduct vehicle patrols in nearby fields and greenhouses.
On-site guidance to reduce heat-related damage among foreign workers will be intensified. The first half of August has been designated as a period for focused management of foreign workers' responses to the heat, with inspections conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Community broadcasts and multilingual text messages will also be used to encourage the suspension of outdoor work during peak heat hours.
Support to minimize damage to agricultural products is also being accelerated. The ministry plans to expand 'mobile watering support' using disinfection vehicles to reduce temperatures in livestock facilities and has allocated a budget of 68.7 billion won for preventive supplies, including cooling equipment and stress relief agents. To maintain crop yields, the ministry will support the application of nutrients and pest control, and secure stockpiles of cabbage and radish for market stability.
Measures to mitigate drought damage are also underway. Currently, 50 cities and counties in the southern region have entered a drought crisis stage, and the Ministry of Agriculture, along with local governments, is implementing water supply measures, including filling reservoirs, dredging riverbeds, and deploying 11,930 mobile pumps. Additionally, 22 forest fire-fighting vehicles from the Korea Forest Service are being mobilized to supply 500 tons of water daily in preparation for prolonged drought conditions.
Minister Song emphasized, "We will strengthen on-site actions through enhanced surveillance, expanded inspections, and campaign activities in collaboration with relevant agencies, and we will strive to minimize heat-related illnesses among farmers and damage to agricultural products."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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