At least 16 people have died in South Korea amid a record-breaking heatwave, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. The southeastern city of Yangsan recorded a temperature of 42.5 degrees Celsius (108.5 degrees Fahrenheit) on Sunday, the highest in 122 years of observations.
Between May 15 and August 2, a total of 2,025 people suffered heat-related illnesses, the interior ministry reported. President Lee Jae Myung called for increased support for those affected and emphasized the need for a fundamental overhaul of the national crisis system, stating, "We need to make efforts for a fundamental overhaul of the national crisis system, since this extreme weather is becoming normal."
He also urged officials to accelerate measures to protect daily lives and called for inspections of power systems as air conditioning demand rises. Authorities issued their first-ever heatwave warning for parts of Seoul and Gyeonggi on Monday, extending it to the entire capital city on Tuesday. Seoul's metropolitan area houses over 25 million residents, about half of South Korea's population.
Meanwhile, Japan has experienced "cruelly hot days," a term used for days with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. Tama Zoo in Tokyo announced that three lions have died in the past week due to suspected heatstroke complications as the country swelters.
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