Heat wave kills 10 people in S. Korea

A scorching heat wave has killed 10 people in South Korea this summer, the health and welfare ministry said Tuesday, as the weather agency issued a heat advisory and heat warning for most parts of the country.

The heave wave has gripped South Korea for weeks as temperatures topped 33 C in Seoul and other major cities.

Temperatures have reached a record 39.2 C in Gimhae, near South Korea's second-largest city of Busan, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

A heat advisory is issued when temperatures exceed 33 C for two straight days, and a heat warning is issued when temperatures surpass 35 C for two straight days, according to the weather agency.

Five people died of heat stroke between Sunday and Monday, including a 34-year-old foreign male who collapsed at an unspecified outside work site, said Cho Soo-nam, an official of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though she said the nationality of the foreigner was not identified.

Cho also said five other South Koreans died of heat stroke between the first week of June and Monday.

In 2012, a heat wave claimed the lives of 14 South Koreans, according to the ministry.

The heat wave is likely to continue until Aug. 20, said Cho Kuh-hee, an official of the weather agency.

The ministry asked people to refrain from outdoor activities and advised drinking plenty of water and resting occasionally if they will be working outside.

(Yonhap News)