Heat-Related Illnesses Near 300 Amid Scorching Heat, 1.5 Times Higher Than Last Year

As sweltering heat continues across the country, the number of patients suffering from heat-related illnesses has reached nearly 300 since the launch of this year's surveillance system.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), a total of 297 people had visited emergency rooms due to heat-related illnesses as of the day before yesterday (June 16).

The KDCA has been operating a heat-related illness surveillance system in collaboration with 516 emergency medical institutions nationwide since May 15. This means that approximately 300 people have sought emergency care for heat-related conditions over the past month.

This figure is 1.5 times higher than the 192 cases reported during the same period last year.

In particular, 13 new cases of heat-related illness were provisionally reported on June 16 alone, a day when intense heat persisted in various parts of the country.

A breakdown of this year's patients by gender shows that men accounted for 206 cases, or 69.4% of the total, which is more than double the number of female patients.

By age group, people in their 40s made up 16.5% and those in their 30s accounted for 16.2%. However, the proportion of elderly patients was also high, with those in their 60s at 13.5% and those in their 70s at 12.5%.

Overall, 30.0% of all patients—or one in three—were seniors aged 65 or older.

The conditions ranged from mild fainting to life-threatening heatstroke.

More than half of the patients, 156, suffered from heat exhaustion, followed by 60 cases of heatstroke (20.2%) and 49 cases of heat syncope (16.5%).

With the first heatwave advisory of the year issued for inland Gyeongbuk yesterday (June 17) and sweltering heat expected to continue nationwide today (June 18), thorough precautions are necessary for outdoor activities.

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