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Seoul Raises Crisis Alert as Record Early-July Heat Claims Lives of Older Adults

Emergency visits have reached their highest levels since May after temperatures topped 37°C under a persistent heat dome.

An electronic signboard shows the temperature in Seoul on July 9, 2025. (Yonhap)
Image
An electronic signboard in Seoul shows the temperature on July 9, 2025. (Yonhap)
A farmer wipes off sweat while pulling weeds on farmland in North Gyeongsang Province on July 8, 2025, as a heat wave gripped the country. (Yonhap)

Overview

  • The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported seven heat-related deaths so far in 2025, bringing the cumulative toll since 2011 to 238.
  • Over two-thirds of fatalities this year involved people aged 60 or older, including four victims aged 70 and above.
  • Fatalities have been concentrated on farms (32 percent), in homes (15 percent) and near roads (14 percent).
  • Health authorities have urged everyone to stay hydrated, seek shade, avoid outdoor activity from noon to 5 p.m. and recommended farm workers shift labor to early mornings or late evenings.
  • Under its elevated crisis alert, Seoul has deployed specialized rescue teams, pumbulances and opened cooling shelters to protect vulnerable residents.