
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), some 1,357 people have been taken to emergency rooms nationwide with heatstroke, dehydration, or exhaustion since mid-May, a sharp increase from fewer than 500 cases during the same period last year.
The KDCA urged people to avoid outdoor activities during the peak daytime hours, rest whenever they feel fatigued, and stay hydrated, adding that most of the victims were elderly farmers who suffered heatstroke while working in the fields amid scorching heat.
The number of such cases hovered above 100 every day this week and soared to 254 on Tuesday alone, as temperatures in Seoul climbed above 37 degrees Celsius, the hottest for early July in the capital since relevant records began in 1907, breaking the previous record of 36.8 degrees set in 1939.

But the unrelenting heat is forecast to persist through this weekend, with Seoul's daytime high reaching 36 degrees, before mid-week showers across most parts of the country next week bring some respite, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).
Meanwhile, it is expected to become mandatory for workers to be guaranteed a break of at least 20 minutes within every two hours during periods of severe heat waves. The Ministry of Employment and Labor is set to review a proposal on Friday afternoon to revise relevant rules, which include a clause mandating such breaks when the perceived temperature reaches 33 degrees or higher, to ensure workers' safety.
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