No sign of any let-up in the heatwave here in Korea.
Temperatures stayed well above 30 degrees Celsius today.
The heat in the past couple of weeks has caused several deaths, in fact.
Now the government has decided to act to keep people safe.
Park Hee-jun reports. It's another weekend of scorching heat in South Korea.
As of Sunday,... heatwave warnings have been issued for most parts of the country.
Daytime highs everywhere are over 30 degrees Celsius... with the mercury hitting 38 degrees in Seoul and over 39 degrees in some areas of Gyeonggi-do Province.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of Saturday,... around 890 people have been treated for heat-related illnesses this summer, and ten people have died.
Over 75 percent of those patients are reported to have suffered from heatstroke over the past couple of weeks,... when the rainy season ended.

The agency advises people to refrain from outdoor activities in the hottest time of the day, between noon and 5 PM.
It also recommends staying hydrated and cool, and avoiding the sun,... especially those 50 or older, who are most vulnerable to the heat.

And on top of the heat,... ozone warnings have also been issued in several parts of Seoul and Gyeonggi-do Province,... where levels are slightly exceeding the standard of zero-point-1-2 parts per million.
Under such conditions,... patients with respiratory or cardiovascular diseases are advised to stay indoors.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to reflect those voices calling for more to be done about this dangerously hot summer by designating the heatwave as a natural disaster, which will free up resources and allow for emergency measures.
An official from the Ministry of Interior and Safety said Sunday... that the ministry intends to push for relevant laws to be passed at the National Assembly.
Those would enable South Korea to provide stronger, long-term measures to cope with the deadly heat.

Park Hee-jun, Arirang News.