Heatwave Drives Vacationers Indoors, Leaving Beach Merchants Frustrated

"Compared to last year, we have only about half the customers."

On the afternoon of July 27, at Yeongildae Beach in Pohang, people seeking relief from the heat in the shade of windbreak forests were more noticeable than those on the sandy beach, and a significant number of parasols remained folded.

Merchants chimed in that business is slow because more people are seeking indoor spaces rather than the outdoors due to the scorching heat.

Record-breaking heatwaves are changing vacation culture and seaside commercial districts.

The Yeongildae Commercial District Promotion Association is an organization that can best gauge the economic pulse, as it manages facilities like the beach shower rooms and directly welcomes vacationers in the shopping district.

An official from the association, identified as A, said, "The economy is not particularly good, and with the heatwave continuing, fewer people are coming out into the blazing sun to swim." They added, "One of the reasons is that the vacation culture has shifted from going to outdoor beaches to heading to indoor water parks."

Amid the hot and humid weather, even a brief walk outdoors quickly left people drenched in sweat.

At 3 p.m. that day, about 100 people at Yeongildae Beach were either soaking in the water or sitting outside enjoying their summer retreat.

Just as many people were resting under the shade of windbreak trees near the beach.

Places renting out parasols and flat wooden benches were largely empty, with many parasols completely folded.

According to the City of Pohang, visitors to Yeongildae Beach, which opened on July 11, numbered 11,970, which is higher than the 5,218 visitors during the same period last year.

However, merchants around the beach noted that it is hard to actually feel that vacationers have increased.

One restaurant owner confessed, "While the commercial district around Yeongildae Beach is said to be the best in Pohang, we don't feel that this summer is significantly better."

Around the same time, Songdo Beach in Songdo-dong, Nam-gu, Pohang, looked even more deserted.

There were so few vacationers that they could be counted at a glance.

As the heatwave continued, the Hyeongsan River Waterpoly on one side of Songdo Beach was completely closed for a break from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Unlike Yeongildae Beach, there are no large trees around Songdo Beach, leading nearby residents to seek shelter from the heat in the shade of buildings or in a pine forest a little away from the beach.

A resident in his 70s said, "While it is a bit cooler near the ocean because of the breeze, the salt makes it sticky, so we tend to avoid it. Staying indoors is much better."

On July 12, Pohang, along with Gyeongsan, became the first areas in the country to have a severe heatwave warning issued.

The severe heatwave warning was issued on July 24, relaxed to a regular heatwave warning late in the afternoon that day, and then reissued on July 25, lasting through July 27.

As of today, July 28, a heatwave warning remains in effect.

A severe heatwave warning is issued when areas experiencing a highest perceived temperature of 35°C (95°F) or higher for two or more consecutive days see the highest perceived temperature reach 38°C (100°F) or higher, or the highest temperature reach 39°C (102°F) or higher.

The severe heatwave warning is the highest-level alert tier, strengthened and newly established 18 years after the heatwave advisory system was introduced in 2008.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.