With the intense heat wave expected to stick around for at least the next several days, President Moon Jae-in is calling for measures to deal with what he believes should be considered a natural disaster.
Our chief presidential office correspondent Moon Connyoung has more.

The record breaking heat wave sweeping across the nation also took grip of the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday as President Moon Jae-in raised the need to include heat wave in the list of natural disasters under the Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety.

"I urge you to recognize the prolonged heat wave as a form of special disaster and once again carefully review related measures."

South Korea has been under a hot spell in recent days with day time highs setting records every day resulting in heat-related illnesses and even deaths.
The South Korean president called on his government to swiftly draw up a crisis management manual and create basis for damage compensation.

"Just as urgent are measures to counter food poisoning and infectious diseases and to deal with roads and train tracks damaged in the scorching heat."

The current disasters and safety act defines "natural disasters" as situations caused by weather conditions such as typhoons, floods, droughts, earthquakes and meteorites, but not intense heat.

The nation's disaster control center has been maintaining that stance citing reasons that temperature fluctuations following seasonal changes were predictable.

But, with rising death toll and damages from heat-related causes, the South Korean government recently decided to support the National Assembly when it reviews revision of the related laws.

President Moon also ordered the nation's energy ministry to disclose its power supply plan, its forecast and countermeasures as demand for electricity soars on earlier-than-expected and ever intense heat conditions.

Moon Connyoung, Arirang News, the Blue House.