South Korea: 16 dead amid record heatwave, President Lee urges action
President Lee Jae Myung called upon officials to take prompt action as extreme weather conditions became "normal". Authorities extended their first-ever heatwave warning for all of Seoul on Tuesday.
At least 16 individuals have perished in South Korea due to a record-breaking heatwave, according to reports. President Lee Jae Myung has called for enhanced support for those impacted, emphasizing that extreme weather is becoming increasingly common. From May 15 to August 2, a total of 2,025 people suffered heat-related illnesses, as per the interior ministry's statement.
President Lee urged officials to expedite actions to safeguard daily life during a cabinet meeting, also requesting inspections of power systems to cope with rising air conditioning demand. The southeastern island city of Yangsan experienced a temperature of 42.5 degrees Celsius, the highest recorded in 122 years, reported the national weather agency.
Upon issuing the first-ever heatwave warning for Seoul and Gyeonggi on Monday, the Korea Meteorological Administration extended the advisory to the entire capital city on Tuesday, the first since its introduction this year. Temperatures in Seoul peaked at 38 degrees Celsius during midday, with an overnight low of approximately 29 degrees, prompting residents to remain indoors and consume ample water.
Public facilities in Seoul have been designated as cooling centers, numbering around 4,000. With a population of 9.6 million, Seoul's metropolitan area houses over 25 million residents, constituting roughly half of South Korea's total population. Climate scientists have cautioned that extreme weather events such as heatwaves are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change.
In Japan, "cruelly hot days" have been observed, a new meteorological term referring to days with intense heat above 40 degrees. Three lions at Tama Zoo in Tokyo succumbed to suspected heatstroke complications within a week as Japan grapples with sweltering temperatures. Europe has also endured a hot summer, with Germany's heat-related deaths in 2026 exceeding all full-year totals since 2016, and this trend is anticipated to continue as more extreme temperatures persist.
Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
