Heat Illness Cases Top 3,000 in South Korea: What to Watch Out for as the Heat Wave Continues

Amid a relentless heat wave, the cumulative number of heat illness patients in South Korea this summer has topped 3,000. Look a little closer, though, and there's something slightly unexpected going on. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's (KDCA) emergency room surveillance system for heat-related illness, the cumulative total stood at 3,089 patients as of August 7 — actually 271 fewer than the same period last year. And yet the death toll, at 26, is five higher than last year. Fewer patients but more deaths suggests that a larger share of cases are turning severe once someone does fall ill, which is worth paying attention to.

Background and Timeline

Every year starting May 15, the KDCA runs its emergency room surveillance system for heat-related illness across roughly 500 participating hospitals nationwide, tracking new cases as they come in. This year's numbers have been building through the same system, and the pace has clearly picked up in August as heat wave advisories have continued one after another. Just looking at the last few days tells the story: 206 new cases on August 3, 209 on the 4th, 220 on the 5th, 185 on the 6th, and 202 on the 7th — roughly 200 new patients showing up every single day. Additional deaths were also confirmed in Seoul and South Chungcheong Province over the same stretch, another reminder that this heat wave is a genuinely life-threatening disaster, not just an inconvenience.

By region, Gyeonggi Province had the most cases at 766, followed by Seoul (386), South Gyeongsang Province (253), South Jeolla Province and Gwangju combined (249), and North Gyeongsang Province (248). By age group, people in their 60s topped the list with 562 cases, followed by those in their 50s (491), 40s (428), 30s (418), 80s and older (412), and 70s (389). What stands out is that a fair number of patients are in their 30s and 40s — relatively young age groups — which suggests that anyone can let their guard down during outdoor activity or work, regardless of age, so caution matters across the board. That said, the severe cases that actually turn fatal still tend to be concentrated among older adults, so households with elderly family members should keep an especially close eye on them.

Response and Outlook

Health authorities keep urging people to cut back on activity during peak heat hours and drink plenty of water. The core guidelines: drink water on a regular schedule even if you don't feel thirsty, reach for water-rich fruit or light meals, and avoid outdoor activity or work between the hottest hours of noon and 5 p.m., staying in shaded or air-conditioned spots instead. If symptoms like headache, dizziness, muscle cramps, fatigue, or a drop in consciousness show up, treat it as a possible heat illness — move to somewhere cool right away to bring the body temperature down, and call 119 without delay.

For workplaces, the government's five basic heat wave response guidelines are worth keeping in mind too: drink water frequently, use rest areas equipped with shade or portable cooling equipment, take a break of at least 20 minutes every two hours once the perceived temperature passes 33°C (about 91°F), and wear cooling gear like cooling arm sleeves or cooling patches. With the heat wave forecast to continue for a while yet, health authorities expect the number of heat illness patients to keep climbing through the rest of August. Staying vigilant until the heat finally breaks is, in the end, the surest way to stay safe.