"It is so hot that the moment the clock strikes 12 p.m., we stop whatever we are doing and pull everyone out. The heat is going to kill someone."

Met on July 27 in Samnangjin-eup, Miryang, Gyeongsangnam-do, known as the birthplace of South Korean strawberry farming, a farm owner in his 60s surnamed Park said, "Today, seasonal workers from Laos started working at 6 a.m., but given the sweltering heat that feels like it could make you collapse, we pull them out unconditionally at noon regardless of flexible work hours."

That morning, four seasonal workers from Laos were sweating profusely at Park's farm under the blazing sun.

They had each planted colorful parasols in the ground and, relying on the shade, were in the middle of growing strawberry seedlings.

A farmer wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat sat down in the furrow under a parasol, gulping down water to quench a burning throat.

The situation was much the same at a farm run by a 70-year-old woman surnamed Kim in nearby Sangnam-myeon.

Here, where four local seniors in their 70s work together, they start working at 6 a.m. right after sunrise and finish at 7 p.m.

Kim said, "We take a break without fail from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the hottest hours. Yesterday, when it hit 39.3°C (103°F), it was simply unbearable, so we came straight inside at 11 a.m. Today, depending on the weather conditions, we might pull out early as well."

She sighed, adding, "It gets hotter by the year. It is so hot that since a few years ago, we cannot endure the fields without parasols."

Kim's group said they are battling the intense heat by drinking four 500mL bottles of bottled water each per day.

Merchants' days are also burning up.

Inside and outside the Miryang Arirang Market, merchants were struggling to beat the heat.

Electric fans spun incessantly, regardless of whether it was indoors or outdoors.

The owner of a clothing store had the shop's air conditioner running and turned on an electric fan right in front of it to pull the cold air together and cool down.

A merchant fanning themselves at an outdoor stall also placed a large electric fan right next to them while waiting for customers.

A merchant selling socks and other items at the market wiped away sweat, saying, "It hasn't rained lately, and the weather keeps getting hotter. Even when we freeze ice water, it melts too quickly."

An 80-year-old grandmother met at the market complained, "They say Miryang is hot by nature, but this year is too hot even for that. In my 80 years of life, this is the first time I've had to leave the air conditioner running day and night."

Yeongnamru, a national treasure dubbed a "natural air conditioner" because cool breezes blow through due to its open surroundings, could not put up a fight against the murderous heat.

Tourists Kim, 75, from Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, expressed disappointment at Yeongnamru, saying, "Yeongnamru is cool, so my wife and I drove 25 minutes to get here. It is cool, but (because today's weather is so hot) it doesn't feel as cool as usual."

A facility manager at Yeongnamru said, "People who visit Yeongnamru often describe its chilling air by saying, 'It's cool enough to blow a person away in the wind,' and it's a place where tourists stay for three to four hours once they visit," while adding, "Perhaps because it has been too hot for the past three days or so, there are no people. While weekends usually see over 1,000 visitors, the previous day only about 50 to 60 people came due to the heatwave."

Miryang, which recorded a high of 39.3°C (103°F) the previous day along with Yangsan, is sweltering under the hottest "steambath heat" in the country.

The Korea Meteorological Administration issued a heavy heatwave warning for the Miryang area effective at 11 a.m. that day.

A heavy heatwave warning is a special advisory issued when the highest perceived temperature is 38°C (100°F) or higher, or when the highest temperature is 39°C (102°F) or higher in areas where the highest perceived temperature of 35°C (95°F) or higher has continued for two days or more.

Repeatedly mentioned as the hottest steambath city in the country, beating Daegu—which is often called "Daefrica" (Daegu + Africa)—Miryang has a structure where heat easily gets trapped like a cauldron due to its topographical characteristics.

This is because it is a typical basin topography where mountains standing around 1,000 meters above sea level surround the downtown area like a folding screen.

As of 1:30 p.m. that day, the temperature in Naei-dong, Miryang-si, soared to 38°C (100°F), and pedestrian traffic was cut off on boiling streets such as the Miryanggang River walking trail, creating a sense of desolation.

Water-mist spraying devices (cooling fogs) spouted out white mist to cool the hot heat on downtown streets, and citizens passing by hurried along while shielding the sunlight with parasols.

(Photo: Yonhap News)