[Anchor]
After worrying about the monsoon season just a few days ago, it was a holiday where it was not easy to adapt to the sudden heat wave. While heat waves are difficult for everyone, they are a matter of survival for those who have nowhere to escape the heat.
Reporter Jeong Jiyeon covered how people are enduring the heat.
[Reporter]
A jjogbangchon (small, single-room housing area) in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
Cooling fog systems are continuously spraying mist to prevent heat-related illnesses, and residents have gathered in the park to escape the heat.
Some have taken off their shirts to cool down, while others sit on benches in light clothing, fanning themselves.
[Jeon In-hwa / Yongsan-gu, Seoul: Getting through the summer is the hardest part. Sweat just pours down. It pours down even when I'm just sitting still. It's better when I'm out in the park. There's a bit of a breeze here.]
With air conditioning out of reach due to costs, the temperature inside these small rooms easily exceeds 30°C (86°F) during the day, even with fans running.
The room I am standing in right now is also filled with sweltering air.
As a result, people have to take their windows off like this just to get a little bit of airflow.
[Lee Sang-jun / Yongsan-gu, Seoul: It was so hot that I took the window off entirely. Even when I use a fan, it just blows hot air. There are so many mosquitoes, but it's better than the heat.]
In traditional markets, where the number of customers has dwindled due to the scorching weather, merchants are battling the heat all day long.
At fish markets, where freshness is critical, merchants are constantly busy sprinkling ice to maintain quality.
[Kim Gwang-su / Mangwon Market Merchant: I feel like I'm just sprinkling ice all day long. You can see the fish go bad quickly. There are far fewer customers, so we are just trying to hang in there.]
The number of people visiting the more than 4,000 heat shelters across Seoul to escape the heat, if only for a short while, is also increasing.
[Shim Gu-seop / Senior Center President: Once you are over 70 or 80, you can't just walk around outside in this heat. It's good to be able to come here and rest.]
From jjogbangchon where it is often cooler outside than in, to workplaces where people must labor outdoors, citizens are enduring the returning heat wave in their own ways.
(Video reported by Kim Seung-tae, Video edited by Choi Hye-ran)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.