▲ A merchant stands watch at the Seoul Central Market in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 6th, when the highest temperature in Seoul was forecasted to hit 39°C (102°F).
At a pork belly restaurant in Yeouido on the afternoon of the 6th, when the thermometer once pointed to 39°C (102°F).
During the break time ahead of the peak dinner business, employees gathered in front of electric fans in the restaurant with the air conditioning turned off, wiping away streams of sweat.
Kim, a restaurant owner, said, "We need to make 3 million won a day to stay afloat, but these days, perhaps because of the heat, it is hard to even sell 1 million won worth. Originally, about ten groups of customers would come every evening, but over the past two weeks, only about three groups have been coming." He added, "It is so hot that people don't even have company dinners and seem to order food at home instead."
The restaurant district in Yeouido, which used to buzz with people having company dinners during the evening hours, looked deserted as the heat wave struck.
Some restaurants posted signs on their doors stating that air conditioning was running, making desperate efforts to attract customers.
Hwang, who runs a fried chicken restaurant in Yeouido, said, "Originally, the shopping center hallway would be packed with office workers, but over the past few weeks, customers have sharply decreased. The weather needs to be moderately hot so people would at least come in to enjoy the air conditioning, but right now it is so hot that people seem to avoid coming outside. Customers used to come in even past 11:00 PM, but now everyone leaves by 10:00 PM and there are no customers."
An, who runs a Korean restaurant nearby, also vented, "Part of the reason customers have decreased is because it is the vacation season, but these days, perhaps because it is so hot, customers have dropped to about a third of the normal level. Everyone seems to hate moving around because of the heat."
As record-breaking heat waves continue this summer, the number of people going out for company dinners and dining out has plummeted.
In fact, it was found that consumers in major business districts and commercial areas such as Gwanghwamun, Jonggak, Yeouido, and Gangnam have decreased.
According to Seoul's real-time city data, the commercial district vitality rate in Yeouido from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM on the 6th decreased by 5.8% compared to the same time last week.
The commercial district vitality rate is an index indicating the degree of consumption by people staying in a given location.
During the same time, the commercial district vitality rate around Jonggak Station, dense with commercial facilities such as restaurants and cafes, also decreased by 28.9% compared to last week, and Gangnam Station dropped by 12.0%.
Earlier at 3:00 PM, when temperatures reached their peak, the commercial district vitality rate in Yeouido dropped by 29.7% compared to the same time last week.
Gangnam Station dropped by 71.1%, Gwanghwamun by 65.4%, and the area around Jonggak Station, dense with restaurants and cafes, also showed a 19.1% decrease.
Lee, a person in their 30s working at a securities firm in Yeouido, said, "Instead of the regular evening company dinners, we are ordering delivery food to the office and having lunch company dinners. Everyone seems to have lost their energy because it is so hot, so they are in a rush to go home in the evening."
It was tallied that people dining out during lunchtime have also decreased.
From 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM on the 5th, when the daytime high temperature soared up to 36°C (97°F), the commercial district vitality rate in Gwanghwamun dropped by 42.9% compared to the same time last week, and Gangnam Station also decreased by 27.5%.
At the same time, the number of people using delivery services increased.
According to Baemin (Baedal Minjok), from the 29th of last month, when heat wave warnings were issued for the southeastern, southwestern, and northeastern districts of Seoul, through the 5th of this month, the number of food delivery orders increased by about 6% compared to the same period last month.
In particular, in the case of the 31st of last month, despite being a Friday when dining-out demand usually rises, delivery demand surged by about 30% compared to the same period of the previous week.
A Baemin official explained, "Affected by this summer's record-breaking heat wave, the number of delivery orders is increasing compared to last year."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.