"It is sweltering every single day lately. No matter how hot it gets, I have to work every day..."

Around 2:00 p.m. yesterday (July 13), near an alleyway by Mangwon Market in Mapo-gu, Seoul, an 81-year-old woman surnamed Lee was diligently collecting waste paper under the intense, beating sun.

The temperature in the area had soared to 32.8°C (91°F), with the heat index reaching 33.6°C (92°F).

Just 10 minutes after helping the woman organize the waste cardboard, sweat was pouring down, making it difficult to breathe.

"It's hot, so go to the shade over there," she said, waving her hand repeatedly to dismiss the concern.

The woman collects waste paper for 12 hours every day, starting at 7:00 a.m.

"Even if I bring a full cart, they only give me 4,000 to 5,000 won," she said, while wiping away sweat and folding boxes to stack them neatly on her cart.

Lee, who has been collecting waste paper for 20 years since her husband passed away, sighed and said, "I don't even receive money from the district office. I have to earn money, so why would I take a break?"

Although safety alerts have been sent out advising people to refrain from outdoor activities during the day, those who work outdoors and cannot stop due to their livelihood have no choice but to remain on the asphalt, where finding a patch of shade is difficult.

One merchant, who was selling steaming hot corn at an outdoor stall, fanned their flushed face repeatedly, saying, "It would be a lie to say it's not hot."

A restaurant owner running a raw fish shop prepared sashimi with their hair soaked in sweat, and street vendors sat on chairs, trying to cool off with the lukewarm air from electric fans.

Construction workers working in a nearby alley also gulped down bottled water from time to time, but they appeared exhausted by the heat.

When asked if they were hot while wiping sweat with a towel, one worker briefly replied, "I am a worker, so I have to work," before climbing back up a ladder.

The summer weather was also brutal for delivery and courier workers who must navigate every corner of the city on motorcycles.

The red, sun-scorched faces of delivery workers were visible beneath their helmets.

They wiped away sweat repeatedly during brief stops.

Lee (31), a mail carrier who had parked his motorcycle on the side of the road to organize mail, also kept moving, saying, "It's tough, but it's my job, so I have no choice."

"If I don't do it today, I have to do it tomorrow, and registered mail cannot be postponed until tomorrow," he said.

He added, "There used to be shade here, but the screen has disappeared. Usually, I look for a place with shade to rest after finishing two or three deliveries."

(Photo: Yonhap News)