This summer's heat no laughing matter…Gyeonggi Province takes action on heat wave, tropical nights, and flood prevention measures

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gab-dong] Gyeonggi Province has begun formulating countermeasures with municipalities to prevent human casualties from the concerning heat waves, tropical nights, and flood damage this summer, as the number of heat wave days has increased significantly and heat-related illness cases have already surged 2.6 times compared to last year.

Accordingly, the province held the '9th TF joint meeting between province and municipalities on flood and wind damage, heat waves, and recovery' on June 10, chaired by Kim Gyu-sik, director of the Safety Management Office, at the provincial government's disaster situation room. The meeting reviewed △key measures for heat wave and tropical night preparedness, △summer human casualty prevention projects, and △disaster recovery project implementation status.

The number of heat wave days has increased significantly in recent years. The average number of heat wave days, which was 9 days over the past decade (1986-1995), has increased to an average of 17.4 days in the most recent decade (2016-2025), an increase of 8.4 days, and high heat waves are expected to persist this year amid high humidity.

In fact, as of June 8, heat-related illness cases in Gyeonggi Province reached 45, approximately 2.6 times higher than 17 cases for the same period last year. Nationwide heat-related illness cases also reached 215, roughly double the 105 cases from the same period the previous year.

Accordingly, the province is strengthening its response system for heat waves and tropical nights. When tropical night advisories are issued for 5 municipalities or more, a newly dedicated tropical night organization (TF) comprised of 6 divisions and 12 departments will be operated, and when issued for 10 municipalities or more, the first stage of the Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters will be activated.

Joint dedicated organizations (TF) meetings between the province and municipalities will also be operated in response to heat wave special advisories. When heat wave advisories for 10 municipalities or more or heat wave warnings for 5 municipalities or more are anticipated, an initial response dedicated organization (TF) will be activated, and when severe heat wave warnings for 2 municipalities or more are anticipated, the first stage of the Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters will be mobilized.

In addition, the province will continue to secure extended operation of heat relief shelters, and strengthen checks on heat safety guidelines for outdoor workers during heat wave special advisories. Municipalities have been requested to thoroughly protect heat wave vulnerable populations, manage heat relief shelter operations, and ensure outdoor worker safety measures are implemented.

In preparation for summer heavy rains, the province is also conducting comprehensive inspections across 8 sectors including semi-basement dwellings, underground parking lots of apartment complexes, underground passages, pedestrian safety along river embankments, storm drains, reservoirs, steep slopes, and camping sites. Of 964,617 total managed facilities, 963,951 have been inspected, achieving an inspection rate of 99.9%, and all inspections of 54,313 priority management facilities and 5,261 joint inspection targets between the province and municipalities have been completed.

The province is also promoting AI and ICT-based summer emergency casualty prevention projects. Among a total of 931 facilities including flooding detection alarm systems in underground passages, public hub alarm devices in semi-basement dwellings, access barriers on riverside pedestrian paths, in-house broadcasting at camping sites and youth camping sites, and water level gauges at reservoirs, 676 are scheduled to be completed by June 15.

Disaster recovery projects are managed with the goal of completing major construction phases before the rainy season. There are 641 disaster recovery projects in the province, with 514 completed as of June 5, achieving a completion rate of 80.2%. The province plans to complete 627 projects by June 15, excluding 14 large-scale projects.

Kim Gyu-sik, director of the Safety Management Office, said, "Since this year's early heat and tropical nights raise concerns about heat-related illness damage, protecting vulnerable populations from heat waves is more important than ever," and added, "We will operate a tight heat wave response system together with 31 municipalities and strengthen field-focused measures such as heat relief shelters and outdoor worker safety management to make every effort to prevent summer human casualties."