Heat Wave in South Korea Killed 17 People, Majority of Farmers and Elderly

Cheongdam, Seoul, South Korea/UNSPLASH/LENNY HONN

JAKARTA - An extreme heat wave has claimed 17 lives over the weekend across South Korea.

This information was provided by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the fire service.

Quoted from Anadolu, most of the dead were farmers and the elderly who worked outdoors in very hot weather, according to Yonhap news agency, Monday, July 31.

South Korea has been hit by scorching heat since the first heatwave warning of the season was issued in mid-June.

The highest temperature recorded recently was around 35 degrees Celsius in many parts of the country.

The hardest hit area was North Gyeongsang Province, where seven elderly farmers died.

On Saturday (30/7) alone, there were four deaths due to heatstroke that befell elderly farmers in Mungyeong, Gimcheon, Sangju and Gyeongsan.