"Walking 10,000 Steps Under Scorching Heat"... The Summer of "Visiting Laborers"

[Anchor]

Even as sweat pours down in the scorching heat, there are workers who visit home after home for the people waiting for them. They are "visiting laborers" such as private tutors and home appliance inspectors.

Reporter Dong Eunyeong covers the day of those who walk 10,000 steps a day under the blazing sun.

[Reporter]

Jeong Nan-sook, a private tutor with 30 years of experience, steps out onto the heated streets with a tutoring bag in one hand and a parasol in the other.

Jeong's daily routine begins around 1 p.m., when the sunlight is at its strongest during the day.

Because she is in charge of a residential area where parking in alleys is difficult, she mostly gets around on foot.

[Jeong Nan-sook / Private Tutor: Last week was really hot, so sweat was just pouring down. It was hard to even walk.]

With it being the summer vacation period, classes are frequently canceled at the last minute, and when that happens, Jeong heads to a neighborhood 24-hour laundromat.

This is because rest areas are far away, and community centers can feel intimidating around elderly residents.

[Jeong Nan-sook / Private Tutor: It's too far to walk to a rest area, and rest areas aren't located everywhere.]

She has to walk more than 10,000 steps a day, and this summer has been even harsher.

[Jeong Nan-sook / Private Tutor: I suffer from severe dizziness due to the heat. Lately, because it's so hot, I keep looking for cold things. So these days, many tutors are coming down with enteritis and are having a really hard time.]

Home appliance inspection workers mostly travel by car because of various equipment, but places where parking is impossible require walking, and home visits in the sweltering weather present many difficulties.

[Lee Myeong-sook / Home Appliance Inspection Worker: There are many people who don't even turn on their electric fans. It really is tough. I'm sweating so much right now. My face has turned all red.]

They cannot even drink cold water to their heart's content.

[Lee Myeong-sook / Home Appliance Inspection Worker: It's uncomfortable to ask customers at their homes (to use the restroom), so I end up restricting water as much as possible.]

Whenever she gets back into her car parked under the blazing sun after finishing a home inspection, she feels suffocated.

[Lee Myeong-sook / Home Appliance Inspection Worker: It's so hard. It's like a steam room. I wonder what the temperature is in here right now.]

Although the peak of this summer's heatwave is said to have passed, workers who roam the alleys to find their customers are still battling the heat.

(Video by Kim Nam-sung and Lee Sang-hak | Video Editing by Park Na-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.