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![Watermelons are displayed at a supermarket in Seoul on May 27, as an early-season heat wave drives up demand for the fruit. [YONHAP]](https://image.koreajoongangdaily.com/12527306.jpg?imageId=12527306&width=240&height=184&format=webp&format=jpg)
![Air conditioners are displayed at an electronics appliance store in Seoul on May 24. As the country is hit by an early heat wave, with daytime highs at around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) since May, the retail industry is switching into summer mode earlier than usual. [YONHAP]](https://image.koreajoongangdaily.com/12587887.jpg?imageId=12587887&width=240&height=184&format=webp&format=jpg)
![A patrol boat cruises in the Han River in southern Seoul on Jan. 21. [YONHAP]](https://image.koreajoongangdaily.com/12520266.jpg?imageId=12520266&width=240&height=184&format=webp&format=jpg)
![Residents battle a fire advancing toward Rebordondo village, near Ourense, on Aug. 18. [AP/YONHAP]](https://image.koreajoongangdaily.com/12111163.jpg?imageId=12111163&width=240&height=184&format=webp&format=jpg)
![Crews deploy deicing sprayers, water trucks and fire engines to cool the tarmac at Gimpo Airport in Gangseo District, western Seoul, on Aug. 12. The operation targets paved areas such as runways, taxiways and aprons when surface temperatures exceed 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit). [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://image.koreajoongangdaily.com/10274464.jpg?imageId=10274464&width=240&height=184&format=webp&format=jpg)
![Tomatoes are displayed at Cheongnyangni Market in Dongdaemun District, eastern Seoul. With scorching temperatures gripping Korea, tomato prices are heating up, too, reflecting the toll extreme weather takes on agriculture. As of Aug. 3, the consumer price of tomatoes hit 6,716 won per kilogram ($10 per pound), a steep rise of 42.6 percent from the same period last year. [YONHAP]](https://image.koreajoongangdaily.com/10728971.jpg?imageId=10728971&width=240&height=184&format=webp&format=jpg)
![Shoppers wait in line for the opening of the Gangseo branch of Homeplus in western Seoul on July 31 to purchase discounted items at the “Encore Homeplus NOW” sale. With scorching heat driving up the prices of produce, the promotion draws heightened interest from budget-conscious consumers. [YONHAP]](https://image.koreajoongangdaily.com/10872382.jpg?imageId=10872382&width=240&height=184&format=webp&format=jpg)
![People queue to buy desserts at the 2025 Cafe & Bakery Fair in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Feb. 19. [YONHAP]](https://image.koreajoongangdaily.com/12426943.jpg?imageId=12426943&width=240&height=184&format=webp&format=jpg)
![A woman wearing a sun cap and carrying an umbrella walks under the scorching sun near Hanagae Beach in Incheon on July 25, as heat wave warnings are in effect across most of the country. [CHOI GI-UNG]](https://image.koreajoongangdaily.com/12266072.jpg?imageId=12266072&width=240&height=184&format=webp&format=jpg)