Sweltering Heat on Jungbok: Citizens Flock to Urban Summer Retreats

[Anchor]

True to Jungbok, considered the hottest of the three traditional dog days of summer, heatwave warnings have been issued across most of the country. Severe heatwave alerts have even been issued in parts of the southern regions. Citizens flocked continuously to any spot where they could escape the heat, even for a moment.

Reporter Kim Gyu-ri captured the scenes.

[Reporter]

People surrender their bodies to the refreshing falling water.

They slide down water slides, blowing away the scorching heat.

On one side of the plaza's sandy beach, the seaside atmosphere is fully brought to life.

The middle of the city has transformed into a beach.

[Lee Dong-gyu and Lee Da-eun / Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province: It was so hot today, so we came to cool off from the sweltering heat. Our child loves it so much.... (It's cool and nice.)]

[Lee Seung-jun / Mapo-gu, Seoul: I came here with my friend. I came to swim. Playing in the water makes me not feel hot.]

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People forget the heat while watching the cool streams of water cascade down beneath a waterfall, and a baby experiencing its first summer since birth enjoys a relaxing time listening to the delightful sound of water.

[Woo Sang-won, Woo Je-in, and Kim Ji-hee / Mapo-gu, Seoul: The weather is really hot, but seeing the waterfall makes me feel like I'm cooling down, which puts me in a good mood. (Our baby) is 8 months old. This is her first summer. It's also her first time seeing a waterfall.]

Foreign tourists also set out to find urban summer escapes.

[Yokota Rin, Yokota Hinata, and Yokota Setsuko: We came from Japan for a trip. Seoul is hotter than Tokyo. So we wanted to go somewhere a bit cool.]

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The Boryeong Mud Festival has also kicked off.

Visitors temporarily bury the intense heat in the muddy water and enjoy the midsummer festival.

[Kim Na-yeon and So Yeon-hee / Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province: Coming here with friends and playing while getting mud all over makes it much more fun, and I want to come again next time.]

Amid the issuance of severe heatwave alerts—the highest-level heatwave warning tier newly established this year—in various parts of the country including Yangsan and Uiryeong in South Gyeongsang Province, Goryeong in North Gyeongsang Province, Dalseong in Daegu, and Gwangyang in South Jeolla Province, daytime highs reached 39.1°C (102°F) in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province; 38.7°C (102°F) in Hwangseong, Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province; and 38.5°C (101°F) in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province.

The intense heat is expected to continue for a while, with daytime temperatures rising up to 38°C (100°F) throughout next week and tropical nights occurring in most regions across the country.

(Reported by Kim Young-hwan from TJB and Kim Sung-soo | Video edited by Choi Hye-ran)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.