Record July temperatures in South Korea with many people affected by heat-related illnesses

Sign up now: Get STs newsletters delivered to your inbox

On July 8 alone, 238 people went to the emergency room nationwide in South Korea after suffering heat-related conditions.

PHOTO: EPA

SEOUL – More than a thousand people have been affected by heat-related illnesses in South Korea, officials said July 9, as the country recorded its highest early July temperature since records began.

A heatwave warning was in place and the Seoul city government on July 9 said the extreme temperatures were a “disaster” that posed a threat to people’s lives.

More than 1,200 people in South Korea have suffered heat-related illnesses since May 15, with eight deaths reported, according to official data released on July 9.

The figures mark a sharp rise from the same period in 2024, when 486 cases and three deaths were recorded, the data showed.

On July 8 alone, 238 people went to the emergency room nationwide after suffering heat-related conditions, the data indicated.

Seoul said it would “prioritise preventing casualties through tougher inspections and enhanced measures”.

According to the national weather agency, July 8 hit 37.8 deg C, marking the hottest early July day – defined as July 1 to July 10 – in the South Korean capital since comprehensive records began 117 years ago.

South Korea experienced in 2024 its highest average summer time temperature since such records began half a century ago – nearly two degrees higher than the historic average, according to the weather agency.

Earlier in 2025, it was hit by the

country’s deadliest wildfires

The country has