The continuing heat wave has claimed the lives of millions of livestock across the country. 

Nonghyup Property and Casualty Insurance said that, as of Wednesday, it had received reports of the deaths of three-million-232-thousand livestock due to the hot weather this year resulting in an estimated total loss of 17-point-three billion won. 

They include three-million chickens, 176-thousand ducks and 14-thousand pigs. 

An official of the insurer said two-point-19 million livestock, or about two thirds of the affected animals, died during a two-week period following the onset of the heat wave on July eleventh.

Farms in North Jeolla Province were hit hardest, reporting the deaths of 881-thousand livestock, followed by South Chungcheong at 593-thousand and South Jeolla at 545-thousand. 

Around 95 percent of the farmhouses across the country are subscribing to the animal disaster insurance policy from Nonghyup or the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation. 

The central government covers 50 percent of the insurance premiums, while local governments can provide additional financial assistance to the policy's subscribers.