Heat wave in South Korea leaves at least 21 dead this year
Emergency visits total 2.441 since mid‑May; about 43% of greater Seoul on highest heat alert with highs to 39°C.
At least 21 people have died from heat-related illnesses in South Korea since the start of the year, while an intense heat wave continues to affect large parts of the country.
The Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported that, since a seasonal monitoring system was established in mid-May, a total of 2.441 people have sought emergency medical attention for heat-related conditions.
Deaths outpace last year despite fewer patients
Authorities say the number of patients treated so far this year is lower than during the same period last year, but fatalities have risen slightly: 21 deaths this year compared with 20 in the same period in the previous year.
One of the most recent victims was a 60-year-old man who died after working outdoors on a farm in Eumseong County, North Chungcheong Province. Health officials provided a breakdown of reported cases: heat exhaustion accounts for 61.7 percent, heat stroke for 16.8 percent and heat cramps for 11.5 percent.
The Korea Meteorological Administration expanded extreme-heat warnings across the greater Seoul area, placing roughly 43 percent of the region under the highest alert level. Temperatures in the capital are forecast to reach up to 39 degrees Celsius on Thursday.
Photo: press material from the event
