Since late May, 18 individuals have died from heat-related illnesses in South Korea, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The data showed that 1,385 people were hospitalized for such illnesses between May 20 and Wednesday, a rise of 29 percent from the same period in the previous year. Additionally, 29 percent of the patients were aged 65 or older, indicating that the elderly are more prone to the extreme temperatures. Thirteen of the fatalities were individuals aged 70 and above. On Thursday, due to the intense heat wave, the government activated Level 2 emergency operations at the disaster response headquarters, the first time since the three-tier system was established. The four-level heat alert was also increased to the highest level of “red” on Tuesday, the first time since 2019. South Korea has been experiencing a scorching heat wave for over a week, with temperatures reaching 38 C on Friday. A construction worker was spotted covering his neck with a bag of ice in Daegu, 237 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Aug. 4, 2023 (Yonhap).