“지금 안 따면 깨 떨어져”…폭염 재난문자도 못 막는 어르신의 ‘한평생 밭일’

On the 9th, Kim Yong-ryul, a 86-year-old resident of Bong-dong-eup in Gyeongju-si, shared his concerns about the dangers of farming in the heat. He mentioned that elderly people should refrain from farming during the intense heat, but it's a reality that farmers still must work. "Older people should avoid working in the heat, but those who farm have no choice," he said.

"It's sad that a senior citizen from our neighborhood ended up like this." Even with a flood of heat warnings, elderly farmers in rural areas struggle to stop working. On June 6th, Kim Soon-rae, an 81-year-old farmer in Jamsil-eup, recorded the highest temperature of 37.2°C, yet he continued to harvest sesame until lunchtime. Kim plans to head home once lunch is served.

He traveled to Jeonju from another city to tend to his crops, but even in this scorching weather, he could not avoid working. Meanwhile, on Jeju Island, a 67-year-old man named Han Eui-gook was seen leaving for a tomato house as early as dawn and returning in the late morning. He stated, "These days, people wake up early and return home around 10 a.m." However, he emphasized, "Can't one just ignore the heat due to the nature of farming?"

In this harsh reality, elderly farmers are succumbing to heatstroke. In Chungnam's Dongjin, three people died from heatstroke between June 2nd and 3rd. All four were found dead after collapsing while working in fields or on farms. In Jeollanam-do's Jangseong, an 80-year-old farmer also passed away while working in the fields. This brings the estimated heatstroke-related fatalities in Jeolla Province this year to six, a significant increase from last year's single case.

All six victims were elderly, with four of them dying while working in fields or on farms. Local governments are responding to the rising death toll by activating special measures to protect vulnerable populations during heatwaves, such as broadcasting warnings through village announcements and setting up cooling centers. However, these measures often prove ineffective for elderly farmers in the fields.

They find it difficult to check the heatstroke alerts or listen to village broadcasts while working, and most importantly, warnings to avoid outdoor activities do little to prevent farmers from harvesting their crops when it's ready. Those who farm alone are even more vulnerable, as they are unlikely to seek help if they experience heatstroke symptoms and it may take longer to discover their bodies after collapse.

Kim Jong-su, a member of the Jeongju City Council, emphasized, "Elderly farmers who have spent their entire lives working in the fields rarely stay away from their fields, especially those working on small farms. Therefore, we need a heatwave response that takes into account the reality that elderly farmers cannot help but work in the fields."