Heat-related illnesses spike 83 percent

Home > National > Social Affairs

Published: 07 Jul. 2025, 20:24

A farmer drinks water while working under the sun in Goryeong County in South Gyeongsang on July 2. [YONHAP]

The number of people with heat-related illnesses surged more than 83 percent from a year earlier as a heat wave hit the country earlier than normal this year, data showed Monday.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) had identified 875 such patients as of Sunday this year, up 83.2 percent from the corresponding tally for the same period last year. The KDCA began tracking the number of heat-related patients on May 15.

Of the 875 patients, seven people died, presumably of heatstroke, compared with three deaths in 2024, the KDCA said.

Earlier in the day, the state weather agency issued the season's first heat wave warning for all of Seoul.

The year's first warning came 18 days earlier than last year, when the country experienced its worst heat wave on record.

A heat wave warning is issued when the highest sensible temperature is expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius or higher for two or more consecutive days or when major damage is anticipated from the heat.

Yonhap