A man in his 80s in Seoul was reported to have died from a heat-related illness on Friday, marking the earliest such fatality since Korea began monitoring heat-related illnesses.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) operates a heat-related illness emergency room surveillance system this year in cooperation with 516 medical institutions nationwide, monitoring case occurrences in real time.
The presumed heat-related death occurred in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. The nationwide average high temperature on the day was 28.2 degrees Celsius, while Seoul, where the death was reported, recorded a high of 31.3 degrees Celsius — warmer than usual for the season. Heat-related illnesses are acute conditions caused by heat exposure and typically come with symptoms such as headache, dizziness, muscle cramps and fatigue.
The number of heat-related illness patients confirmed through the surveillance system last year reached 4,460, the second-highest on record after 2018, when Korea experienced a historic heatwave. Of these, 29 were presumed heat-related deaths, with 68.6% being aged 65 or older. The leading cause of death was heatstroke, accounting for 93.1% of cases.
The KDCA stressed that the importance of preventing health damage from heatwaves is growing as climate change has increased both the timing and intensity of heatwaves. The agency particularly urged that the elderly, pregnant women, children and people with underlying conditions follow heat-illness prevention guidelines even when no heatwave advisory is in effect, as their body temperature regulation is less effective than that of average adults, making them more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses.
"Heat-related illnesses can be sufficiently prevented by following basic health guidelines," KDCA Commissioner Lim Seung-kwan said. "On hot days, people should avoid strenuous outdoor activities, and the health conditions of those particularly vulnerable to heat exposure should be checked frequently."
