Heat-Related Illnesses in Late Summer Nearly Triple Over Past Decade
2 sources · South Korea · 1 of them is linked to a state
Who reported this
- Yonhap
- The Korea Herald
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
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Every source for this story reports from South Korea.
The number of heat-related illness cases reported in late summer has nearly tripled over the last 10 years, according to government data released Saturday. An analysis by a research institute under the interior ministry, using data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), found that an annual average of 215 patients were reported from ipchu to the end of August between 2011 and 2015. Ipchu, which fell on August 7 this year, marks the beginning of autumn on the traditional calendar.
The annual average rose to 658 cases from 2016 to 2020 and remained at 638 cases from 2021 to 2025. Deaths linked to heat-related illnesses also increased, rising from an annual average of 3.3 patients between 2012 and 2015 to more than four patients over the decade from 2016 to 2025. In 2024 alone, 1,299 people suffered from heat-related illnesses and 12 died from ipchu to late August.
Heat waves are expected to continue until late August this year, with daytime highs predicted to range from 31 to 35 degrees Celsius across the country. On Friday, 202 people were treated at emergency rooms nationwide for heat-related illnesses, and three died. Since May 15, the government has operated a monitoring system that has recorded 3,089 heat-related illness cases and 26 deaths.
How each side framed it
- Centre
- The center lean outlets provided a factual report on the increase in heat-related illnesses, including specific current-day emergency room data and government monitoring statistics.
- Centre-right
- The center-right lean outlet presented the same core statistical data regarding the ten-year increase in illnesses and deaths without adding the most recent daily emergency room figures.
Sources
- Centre-right The Korea Herald: Heat-related illness patients in late summer up threefold over past decade: data
- Centre Yonhap: (LEAD) Heat-related illness patients in late summer up threefold over past decade: data
- Centre Yonhap: Heat-related illness patients in late summer up threefold over past decade: data
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.