"It's So Hot I Took the Window Off"... Temperatures Exceed 30°C Even with Fans

[Anchor]

After worrying about the monsoon season just a few days ago, it has been a difficult Sunday as people struggle to adapt to the sudden heat wave. While the extreme heat is tough for everyone, it is a matter of survival for those who have nowhere to escape the sweltering temperatures.

Reporter Jeong Jiyeon reports on how people are enduring the heat.

[Reporter]

In a neighborhood of small, single-room dwellings 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 at least a bit of a breeze.]

Due to the cost, air conditioning is out of the question. Inside these small rooms during the day, temperatures soar well above 30°C (86°F), even with electric fans running.

The room I am standing in right now is also filled with sweltering air.

To get even a little bit of ventilation, residents have to take their windows off like this.

[Lee Sang-jun/Yongsan-gu, Seoul: It was so hot that I just took the window off entirely. Even the air from the fan feels hot. There are so many mosquitoes, but it's better than the heat...]

At traditional markets, where the number of customers has dwindled due to the scorching weather, merchants are battling the heat all day long.

In particular, at fish shops where freshness is critical, owners are busy constantly sprinkling ice to maintain quality.

[Kim Gwang-su/Merchant at Mangwon Market: I feel like I'm just sprinkling ice all day long. You can see the quality (of the fish) deteriorating immediately. The number of customers has dropped significantly, and we are just trying to hold on.]

The number of people visiting the nearly 4,000 heat shelters across Seoul to escape the heat, even for a short while, is also increasing.

[Shim Gu-seop/Senior Center President: Once you're over 70 or 80, you can't walk around outside in this heat. It's good to be able to come here and rest.]

From the small rooms where the outside is cooler than the inside, to workplaces where people must labor in the heat, citizens are enduring the return of the heat wave in their own ways.

(Video reporting: Kim Seung-tae, Video editing: Choi Hye-ran)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.