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Professional baseball games will be completely suspended for the time being due to the intense heat wave. This is the first time such a suspension has occurred since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reporter Jeon Yeongmin has the details.

[Reporter]

During the game between SSG and LG in Incheon on the day before yesterday (August 4), players and umpires preparing for the top of the 9th inning collectively turn their gaze toward the stands.

A man in his 20s, identified by the surname A, who was cheering in the 1st base stands, suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed.

After emergency medical personnel performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and even used an automated external defibrillator, Mr. A regained consciousness and was immediately transported to a hospital. Shortly afterward, another man in his 20s, identified as Mr. B, collapsed as well, and was transferred to a hospital after regaining consciousness following CPR.

The KBO, which had already canceled 5 games up until the day before yesterday after players complained of heat-related illness symptoms starting last week, declared a total league suspension following the frightening accidents in which two spectators lost consciousness.

This schedule suspension in professional baseball is the first since the COVID-19 pandemic 5 years ago, and the first time ever that games have been halted due to extreme heat.

[Koo Ja-wook / Samsung Outfielder: "It seemed like the hottest day I've ever played baseball, and it was such a grueling game because my sweat wouldn't stop drying throughout the match. I didn't even want to come outside."]

The KBO will hold a meeting today involving general managers from all 10 clubs and the Players Association to discuss future countermeasures.

Although new operational standards regarding game cancellations and delayed starts under heat wave conditions were newly established and announced the day before yesterday, the decision was made to completely reexamine the policy from scratch following the successive emergency situations.

With the timing of the league's resumption currently unpredictable, there is a high possibility that the professional baseball hiatus will lengthen if the heat wave persists.

Meanwhile, professional soccer has decided to delay this weekend's matches, which were originally scheduled to start at 7:30 PM, by 30 minutes to begin at 8:00 PM.

(Video by Lee Jae-sung)