Naturally, homes and businesses have been running the air conditioning pretty high the past couple of weeks.
But that's put strain on the power grid.
The Prime Minister has urged the government to make sure electricity supplies are stable,... and according to his office, at least, there will be more than enough power when demand peaks this month.
Cha Sang-mi reports.
Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, in a meeting Thursday, called on the relevant authorities to make sure electricity supplies are stable... so that homes and businesses can stay cool, something that could save lives.

"Last month the government forecast this summer's maximum power demand to 88-point-3 million kilowatts, but the actual demand has surpassed 90 million. The energy ministry's forecasting model proved to be mostly precise, but the heat has been unexpectedly severe and prolonged."

The Prime Minister's Secretariat said peak power demand last month surpassed 92-point-4 million kilowatts, more than was expected. But he also said the government has now secured 173-million kilowatts of power capacity in preparation for demand to peak in the second and third weeks of August.
And they're not letting their guard down -- they've also got another 6-point-8 as back-up.

For more dependable management of the electricity supply, the Prime Minister also called for the launch of a task force consisting of civilian experts who would look out for unexpected situations and manage risks.
Lee called on other ministries and authorities to make doubly sure that power supplies are stable... because when people get back from vacation in the coming days, demand is going to surge again.
Cha Sang-mi, Arirang News.