At least 16 people have died in South Korea, as a record heatwave hits the country. President Lee Jae Myung has called for increased support for those affected amid warnings that extreme weather was becoming more frequent.
Between May 15 and August 2 this year, a total of 2,025 people have suffered heat-related illnesses, the interior ministry said in a statement.
What did President Lee say?
"We need to make efforts for a fundamental overhaul of the national crisis system, since this extreme weather is becoming normal," President Lee said at a cabinet meeting, where he urged officials to accelerate measures to protect the daily lives of people. He also called for inspections of power systems as demand for air conditioning rises.
South Korea's southeastern island city of Yangsan recorded a temperature of 42.5 degrees Celsius (108.5 degrees Fahrenheit) on Sunday, the highest measured in 122 years of observations, the national weather agency said.
