In the long arc of human civilization, few forces reveal our vulnerability as plainly as heat — invisible, patient, and indiscriminate. South Korea is living that lesson this summer, as a historic heatwave sweeps westward from Yangsan, where temperatures reached 42.5°C, toward Seoul and its nine million residents, who now face conditions their city has never formally warned against. Sixteen people have died and thousands more have fallen ill since May, and the government's own president has named the uncomfortable truth: what was once exceptional is becoming ordinary.
Seoul braces for record heatwave as South Korea's death toll hits 16
16 people have died from heat-related causes and over 2,000 have been treated for heat-related illnesses since May, with outdoor workers and vulnerable populations bearing the greatest burden.