Heat-Related Illnesses in Seoul Triple
Many Cases Occur During Outdoor Activities Such as Morning Marathons
In Seoul, where the heat wave continues, the number of patients visiting emergency rooms due to heat-related illnesses has increased more than threefold compared to last year. In particular, many of Seoul’s heat-related illness cases occurred during outdoor leisure activities such as exercising in playgrounds and parks, with a significant number happening during morning activities like marathons.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on July 9, the "Heat-Related Illness Emergency Room Surveillance System," which involves all 70 hospitals in Seoul equipped with emergency rooms, recorded a total of 85 cases of heat-related illness from May 15 to July 7. This figure is more than three times higher than during a similar period last year. This year, due to the early onset of hot weather, the surveillance system began operating five days earlier than last year (which was from May 20 to July 7).
The pattern of heat-related illness cases in Seoul showed some differences from nationwide trends in terms of location, time, and age group. More than half of the cases occurred in outdoor leisure spaces such as roadsides (53%) and playgrounds or parks (17%). This contrasts with the nationwide trend, where a higher proportion of cases occur at outdoor worksites or in fields and mountains.
The time of occurrence also differed. Nationwide, 50% of heat-related illness cases occurred in the afternoon (12 p.m. to 5 p.m.), but in Seoul, more cases occurred in the morning (10 a.m. to 12 p.m., 44%) than in the afternoon (25%).
By age group, the majority of cases in Seoul occurred among adults in their 30s and 40s (46%), rather than among seniors aged 65 and older (16%).
In particular, among the 45 cases that occurred on roadsides, 56% (25 cases) happened during marathons that started in the morning. The age distribution of these patients was as follows: 4 in their 20s, 9 in their 30s, 8 in their 40s, and 4 in their 50s. The city explained that even during the relatively cooler morning hours, insufficient hydration or poor physical condition management can lead to heat-related illnesses, even among young and healthy individuals.
Heat-related illness is an acute condition that occurs when a person is exposed to heat for an extended period. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, muscle cramps, fatigue, and decreased consciousness. If left untreated, it can be life-threatening.
As the record-breaking heat wave continues, the number of heat-related illness cases nationwide exceeded 200 in a single day on July 8. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on July 9, a total of 238 people (including one death) visited 516 emergency rooms nationwide for heat-related illnesses the previous day. This is the first time since August 3, 2018, when 229 cases were reported during the worst heat wave, that the daily number of heat-related illness cases has surpassed 200.
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