The government and the ruling Democratic Party held a policy consultation meeting to discuss countermeasures against heat waves, including ways to curb rising prices of agricultural produce and prevent heat-related industrial accidents.

In the meeting at the National Assembly on Tuesday, the ruling bloc examined the heat wave situation and discussed plans to prevent damage in the agricultural sector, as well as projections for electricity supply and demand during the summer.

In the meeting, the party’s chief policymaker, Jin Sung-joon, stressed the need for long-term measures to address the recurring issue of price spikes affecting agricultural produce due to heat waves. 

Jin also called for thorough monitoring to assess heat wave damage in real time and strong measures to support people living in vulnerable housing conditions.

He underscored the need for measures to protect workers from heat-related risks in the workplace, welcoming the recent passage of a bill that mandates a 20-minute break for every two hours of work during heat waves.

The lawmaker also said the nation must take active measures to contain damage from predictable natural disasters like heat waves and heavy rains, even if those measures may seem excessive.