[Report] Struggling to Breathe in the 'Killer Heat'... Outdoor Workers Unable to Rest Despite the Heatwave

1,195 Heat Illness Patients in the Past Two Months
Ministry of the Interior and Safety Issues 'Severe' Heatwave Warning Level

"There’s no special way to overcome it. I just want to finish quickly and go home to rest."

On the afternoon of the 3rd, around 3 p.m., delivery worker Choi (38) was wiping the sweat streaming down his forehead as he loaded packages onto his cart at an intersection in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Although he had overloaded the cart with delivery boxes for a nearby apartment complex, there were still piles of boxes stacked like mountains on the ground waiting to be processed. The asphalt pavement where Choi bent over to work quickly became soaked with sweat droplets.

Choi said, "I started loading items in the warehouse from 9 a.m. today and began deliveries at noon. I brought water frozen from home, but I barely had a few sips before it all melted and became lukewarm. Since I can’t escape the heat, I just want to finish work quickly and go home to rest."

Outdoor workers are paving the road in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Lee Seohee

On this day, heatwave warnings were issued nationwide, including Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. With the apparent temperature soaring up to 35 degrees Celsius in most regions across the country, Seoul’s daytime high also reached 33 degrees. Given these conditions, construction workers who had to work under the scorching sun at midday were on high alert. Around noon, workers paving roads in front of a caf? in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, sat on chairs set up on one side of the site, fanning themselves continuously. Although the chairs were placed under a tree and used as a makeshift rest area, it seemed insufficient to block the suffocating "killer heat." Exhausted workers came to this shade to gulp cold water and take a short break, but resumed work in less than five minutes.

Im (67), whom we met at the site, said, "We gathered at the site at 8 a.m. to hear about the work details and heatwave precautions, and have been working since then. There is a small break room with air conditioning inside the building across the street, but since there’s a lot of work and the pace is fast, it’s difficult to go there to rest." Another worker, Lee (62), said, "The headquarters instructs us to work for 45 minutes and rest for 15 minutes during heatwaves. They also provide ice water. However, depending on the situation, these guidelines are often not strictly followed during work."

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), as the nationwide heatwave continued this year, from May 20 to July 31, there were 1,195 cases of heat-related illnesses nationwide, including 5 deaths. To prepare for the worsening heatwave situation, MOIS activated Level 1 of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters as of the 31st of last month and raised the heatwave crisis alert level to "Severe." The severe heatwave crisis alert is issued when the daily maximum apparent temperature is expected to exceed 35 degrees Celsius for three or more consecutive days in 40% of the country’s regions.

A Seoul city official is collecting Ddareungi bikes in Jung-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Lee Seohee]

Workers collecting public bicycles called Ddareungi and electric kickboards are also continuing their battle against the heatwave. Around 4 p.m., Yang (45) was busy transferring Ddareungi bikes left by citizens onto a collection truck in the sweltering heat where sweat dripped even while standing still. Despite trying to block the heat with a sunshade and arm sleeves, beads of sweat formed under Yang’s eyes and on the bridge of his nose where the protection was insufficient.

Yang said, "It really feels suffocating. After working for several hours, my whole body is soaked in sweat, and my clothes don’t come off easily. Still, I can’t stop working, so I take occasional breaks to drink water and rest while continuing the job."

As the nationwide heatwave persists, MOIS has urged people to minimize outdoor activities or work between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., and to use cool places such as heatwave shelters if experiencing symptoms like dizziness, nausea, or headaches. A MOIS official said, "Since the weather is extremely hot, outdoor workers should drink plenty of fluids and salt and take breaks. We will take necessary measures to protect the health of workers during the heatwave season."