[Anchor]

Professional baseball, which was suspended for the first time in history due to extreme heat, resumed today (August 11). Taking this as an opportunity, the KBO has revised its regulations regarding heatwaves.

Let us first watch the report by Reporter Park Ha-jeong to see if these measures will be sufficient to protect the safety of players and spectators, and then discuss it further.

[Reporter]

During last week's professional baseball games held amid scorching heat hovering around 40°C.

As players complained of dizziness and two spectators in their 20s collapsed unconscious, the KBO came up with new measures following an emergency meeting.

The new rules allow games to be canceled if a severe heatwave warning, newly established by the Korea Meteorological Administration this year, is issued or if the perceived temperature reaches 35°C or higher.

Introducing a perceived temperature standard that reflects humidity, rather than just relying on the highest air temperature, is a step forward.

However, will this be enough?

Around 10:00 AM on August 7, when the Bonghwangdaegi National High School Baseball Tournament was held, the perceived temperature in Seoul was 33.9°C, meaning professional baseball games could proceed under the new regulations.

However, as the ground temperature approached 66°C, players complained of dizziness caused by radiant heat rising from the ground.

[Park Jin-sung / Yaro High School BC Catcher (August 7): It is probably a bit easier to understand if you imagine playing baseball inside a sauna.]

This is why arguments are being raised to introduce the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), an index that allows for a comprehensive assessment of the impact of heatwaves on players, including radiant heat rising from the ground.

Around 6:00 PM, after the Bonghwangdaegi game ended.

The reporting team visited the baseball stadium where the game was held and directly measured the WBGT.

The WBGT, which includes humidity and radiant heat, is displayed lower than the air temperature according to a separate calculation method. The temperature measured on the artificial turf was 38.7°C, while the WBGT was 32.2°C.

Inside the dugout where the players stay, the temperature was 39.1°C and the WBGT was 32.9°C, which was higher than on the ground.

The Japanese government recommends completely banning outdoor exercise out of concern for heat-related illnesses if the WBGT exceeds 31°C.

[Ham Seung-heon / Professor of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Gachon University Gil Medical Center: You can consider places like artificial turf, running tracks, and asphalt to be retaining a tremendous amount of heat. (The WBGT) measures the heat stress actually felt by a person, and you can see it as an index widely used in the military and sports sectors...]=

In some sports such as football, the WBGT is already used as an international standard.

(Photo: Park Jin-ho, Video Editing: Choi Hye-young, Design: Park Tae-young, VJ: Shin So-young)

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[Anchor]

Reporter Park Ha-jeong, who covered this story, is here with us. Reporter Park, the concept of the WBGT mentioned in the report earlier is a bit unfamiliar. How is it measured?

Q. How is the WBGT measured?

[Reporter Park Ha-jeong: This portable measuring device right here is used to measure the WBGT. Radiant heat is measured from this black, round sensor. And humidity is detected from this small, perforated part at the bottom. It also measures air temperature like a regular thermometer. It combines these three figures. If humidity is high, it is difficult to regulate body temperature, causing players to tire more quickly and their body temperatures to spike rapidly. So, to explain simply, the highest weight of 70% is placed on humidity, reflecting 20% for radiant heat, and only 10% for air temperature. Our Ministry of Employment and Labor also applies this index to regulate rest breaks in work environments exposed to high heat, such as smelters with blast furnaces.]

Q. Which sports have adopted the WBGT?

[Reporter Park Ha-jeong: FIFA measures this WBGT before the match starts, and if it exceeds 32°C, they provide rest breaks and can even cancel the match altogether. In Major League Soccer in the U.S., where Son Heung-min plays, rest breaks must be given if the WBGT exceeds about 28°C. In South Korea's K League, match supervisors measure the WBGT, but there are still no explicit criteria for canceling games.]

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[Kim Hoon-ki / General Secretary, Korea Pro-Footballers Association: In fact, there are significant parts where players are not protected. I think such details need to be incorporated more concretely.]

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Q. What is the KBO's stance on 'introducing the WBGT'?

[Reporter Park Ha-jeong: The WBGT seems to have been adopted earlier in football, where physical activity levels are relatively high. Regulations on the WBGT were also hard to find in U.S. Major League Baseball or Japanese professional baseball. However, at Koshien, the Japanese high school baseball tournament, the WBGT is measured before matches begin. This is the first time professional baseball has been suspended due to extreme heat. When we asked the KBO, they stated that game operators will measure it on-site to accumulate data before considering the introduction of the WBGT.]