Home > National > Social Affairs

Too hot for school: Summer break may come early

Published: 09 Jul. 2025, 20:47

A digital signboard in Mapo District, western Seoul, displays the day’s temperature on July 9 as the heat wave continues. [YONHAP]

With an unusual early-July heat wave gripping Korea, schools are canceling outdoor activities and considering starting summer vacation early to protect students from extreme heat.

An elementary school in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, canceled its planned potato harvesting field trip, initially scheduled for Tuesday. The school had moved the event to an earlier time slot in response to parental concerns about heat-related illnesses, but ultimately called it off.

“We’ve converted all outdoor activities into indoor ones,” a school representative said. Parents were informed through a messenger app.

Education offices across the country are also taking action.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education issued a directive to all kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools in the city, advising school administrators to consider flexible academic operations in the event of a heat wave warning.

The recommendations include adjusting school hours or temporarily suspending classes in addition to canceling outdoor lessons.

Offices of education in Ulsan and North Chungcheong sent similar instructions to local schools, urging them to consider early summer breaks or shortened class schedules to minimize the risk of heat-related harm.

As the heat wave is expected to continue for several more days, some schools are actively reviewing whether to move up their scheduled summer vacations. Most elementary, middle and high schools are currently set to begin break in late July.

“We turn on the air conditioning from the moment students arrive, but in classrooms packed with students, it’s difficult to lower the temperature below 28 degrees Celsius [82 degrees Fahrenheit],” said the vice principal of a middle school in Yangcheon District, western Seoul. “We are reviewing the academic calendar to see if moving the break up by a week would be possible without affecting instructional days.”

Soaring electricity costs tied to extended air conditioning use have also become a concern.

“We’ve already used nearly half this year’s heating and cooling budget by the end of June,” said a principal at a middle school in Gangseo District, western Seoul. “We’ll weigh student health, budget constraints and the school calendar as we consider starting summer break early.”

As sweltering heat continues on July 9, people walk with parasols to shield themselves from the harsh sunlight in Jeonju, North Jeolla. [NEWS1]

Parents have begun equipping their children with parasols and portable fans, with children’s parasols temporarily selling out at some retailers.

A parent of a 6-year-old said that they ordered a parasol for their child online but was notified through text that it was out of stock and would be replaced with a different design.

“I’m also looking into other items like neck fans and hats,” they said. “There is supposed to be a water play session on the kindergarten rooftop this Friday, but I’m debating whether to suggest canceling that too.”

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) sent an official request to education offices nationwide, asking them to support its campaign encouraging students to use parasols after school and during peak sun hours.

The KMA issued heat wave warnings or advisories for most regions, including the greater Seoul area as of 10 a.m. on Wednesday.

Temperatures in Seoul surpassed 37 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, marking the highest early-July temperature on record since weather data has been collected.

The extreme heat continued into a second consecutive day.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY LEE BO-RAM [[email protected]]