With air conditioners blasting this summer, electricity bills are soaring,... a big worry for a lot of people.<br />Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon has called on the government to try and find ways to bring those bills down.<br />He's also reminding people to take health precautions -- this heat is dangerous -- and he wants local governments to help vulnerable people like senior citizens.<br />Cha Sang-mi reports. <br /> The South Korean government is continuing its efforts to respond to the extreme heatwave, which is forecast to continue 'til the end of August.<br />With the air-conditioning on, the heat's caused electricity bills to soar.<br />And in Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon called on the energy ministry to find ways to ease people's concerns on that front.<br /><br /> "The longer the heatwave continues, the longer we spend with the air-conditioning on, which leads to worringly high electricity bills. This heatwave qualifies as a natural disaster, so I urge the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to look into ways to show some consideration to the people when it comes to the cost of electricity."<br /><br /> Prime Minister Lee also asked the ministry to make sure to stabilize electricity supplies this week when power demand will most likely surge at the end of vacation season.<br />Lee said despite multiple measures the government has been taking, the heat has claimed 27 lives, and both farmers and consumers are suffering from the loss of livestock and crops.<br /><br /> "The government is working on changing the law so that the heatwave is regarded as a natural disaster, but we ought to respond to the heatwave even before the law is passed."<br /><br /> He urged people to take extra care of themselves in the heat -- especially senior citizens who don't have air conditioning -- also farmers, fishermen and builders who work outside in the heat.<br />Local governments, he said, should help.<br /> On Tuesday, the Prime Minister himself paid a visit to a family on a livestock farm in Gyeonggi-do Province to console them and to check on the situation on the ground.<br />Cha Sang-mi, Arirang News. <br />
