Emergency protocols expanded after foreign farm‑worker deaths in Jeolla

Seoul, Aug 9 – Following a series of heat‑induced fatalities among migrant agricultural laborers in the Jeolla‑North and South Chungcheong provinces, South Korea's Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced an expansion of its emergency response framework.

Chief Kim Kwang‑young personally inspected farms in Yeosan County, evaluating both worker conditions and the wellbeing of livestock exposed to extreme heat. The visit revealed inadequate shade, insufficient water supplies, and poor ventilation in animal housing.

Kim instructed farm owners to install additional cooling fans, improve barn ventilation and provide at least three liters of water per worker per day. He also directed the agriculture ministry to upgrade its disaster‑situation room into a full‑scale emergency response hub, equipped with real‑time temperature mapping and drone surveillance.

The health ministry formed a 24‑hour rapid response team dedicated to monitoring elderly residents and laborers at risk of heat‑stroke. Simultaneously, the labor ministry launched an audit of construction sites, emphasizing the need to halt work during peak heat periods unless essential.

Officials distributed heat‑stroke prevention manuals translated into 18 languages and handed out portable cooling kits to high‑risk locations. While the national heat warning has been lifted, temperatures in several districts remain near 35 °C, and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency logged 203 new heat‑related illnesses on Sunday, raising the overall count to 3,090 with three additional deaths.