The government is expected to designate heat waves as natural disasters to reinforce the state’s response to the weather phenomenon.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on Sunday, there is an internal consensus on including heat waves on the government's list of natural disasters.

Currently, the list includes phenomena such as typhoons, floods, torrential rains, tsunamis, heavy snowfall, drought, earthquakes and volcanic activity. By law, natural disasters receive more attention in terms of budget and damage compensation.

Amid growing damage in recent years, there have been calls to include heat waves on the government's natural disaster list. A number of related bills currently await parliamentary approval.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says one-thousand-43 cases of heat-related illnesses were reported between May 20th and July 21st this year, up 61 percent compared to the same period last year. There have been ten heat-related deaths this year alone.