Seoul, August 5: South Korea is grappling with an intense heatwave that has led to the deaths of 21 individuals this year due to heat-related illnesses. Additionally, 2,441 people have sought emergency medical care as a result of the extreme temperatures.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), these figures have been recorded under a heat-related illness surveillance system that began in mid-May.
While the number of heat-related illnesses is lower compared to the same period last year, the death toll has risen. This year’s fatalities have already surpassed the 20 deaths reported last year.
In one recent case, a 60-year-old man working in a field in North Chungcheong Province succumbed to heatstroke on Tuesday.
The health agency reports that among this year’s patients, 61.7% suffered from heat exhaustion, 16.8% from heat stroke, and 11.5% from heat cramps.
Meanwhile, the weather department issued a severe heatwave warning for the Greater Seoul area on Wednesday, placing 43% of the region under the highest alert level.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) noted that the average temperature in July reached 26.8 degrees Celsius, marking it as the third highest July temperature on record. The previous records were 27.7 degrees Celsius in 1994 and 27.1 degrees Celsius in 2025.
Reports indicate that the average number of tropical nights, defined as nights with minimum temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius or higher, was 9.7 days in July, setting a new record. This surpasses the previous records of 8.8 days in July 2025 and 8.5 days in July 1994.
Throughout July, heatwave advisories were issued for an average of 8.9 days across the country. The southeastern regions were particularly affected, with Daegu experiencing 22 days, Gumi 21 days, and Miryang 20 days of heatwave warnings. In contrast, the capital, Seoul, had advisories for only two days.
According to the weather department, the country received an average of 220.2 millimeters of rainfall in July, which is only 72.3% of the normal July rainfall of 296.5 millimeters. The most severe drought conditions were reported in South Gyeongsang Province, where only 68 millimeters of rain fell throughout the month, just 21.9% of the average.
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