Northeast Asia heat wave kills, disrupts sport and overwhelms hospitals

Seoul,UPDATED: Aug 5, 2026 15:52 IST

A record heat wave is sweeping across Northeast Asia, with South Korea, North Korea and Japan reporting deaths, illnesses and disruption as temperatures stay dangerously high. The impact has been seen in scenes ranging from baseball fans collapsing in South Korea to lions dying at a zoo in Japan, while North Korean authorities have issued safety warnings and a hospital official has advised people on what to eat to cope with the heat.

On Wednesday, heat wave advisories remained in place across most of South Korea as temperatures in greater Seoul and nearby areas climbed to as high as 39 degrees Celsius. North Korea also issued advisories in many areas, while Japan reported a sharp rise in heatstroke cases, with its anti-disaster agency saying more than 18,000 people with heat stroke symptoms were taken to hospitals in the week from July 20 to 26.

In South Korea, the Interior and Safety Ministry said about 2,220 people have been diagnosed with heat-related illnesses since mid-May and 19 people have died. The heat has also killed about 17,140 livestock, including chickens, ducks and pigs, as well as about 160,000 farmed fish.

The southeastern city of Yangsan recorded 42.5 degrees Celsius on Sunday, the highest temperature recorded in the country since weather observations began in 1904. At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, President Lee Jae Myung told officials to treat the heat wave as "a national disaster" and make all-out efforts to protect lives.

The heat also affected sports events. On Tuesday night, a man in his 20s collapsed while watching a baseball game between SSG Landers and LG Twins in Incheon, west of Seoul. Emergency workers performed CPR and took him to hospital, stopping the game for about 10 minutes. Another fan in his 20s lost consciousness and was treated at the stadium after the match. The Korea Baseball Organisation said on Wednesday that all 10 games scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday had been cancelled and would be rescheduled.

In North Korea, Min Son Yong, deputy director of the internal medicine department at Pyongyang General Hospital, told the Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Sunday that people should eat dog meat and fish porridge to add protein and cope with the heat. Dog meat, known as "dangogi" or "sweet meat", has long been seen in North Korea as a food that helps stamina and is traditionally eaten during the hottest time of the year.

According to the newspaper, Min also recommended watermelons, cucumbers, tomatoes, mung beans and ginger to help cool the body. Dog meat has also been eaten in China, Vietnam, African countries and South Korea, which plans to formally ban the slaughter, breeding and sale of dog meat for human consumption from next year.

In Japan, the Environment Ministry issued a heat stroke alert for most of western and southern parts of the country on Wednesday. Temperatures had temporarily eased in the Tokyo region this week, but severe heat continued in the south.

In Kumamoto in southwestern Japan, relief and clean-up work went on after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake on July 28 that killed 38 people. Among them was a woman in her 70s who developed heat stroke while sheltering in a car. More than 43,000 households were still without water on Wednesday.

The heat has also affected animals in Japan. Three lions died at a zoo in Tokyo, and several other animals showed what appeared to be symptoms of heatstroke. Tama Zoological Park said a three-year-old female lion named Mugi lost her appetite on July 19 and could not stand the next day. Suspecting a heat-related problem, zoo staff used ventilation and a water sprinkler to cool her. She died on July 28 despite treatment with subcutaneous fluid, liver tonics and vitamins.

Two other female lions, Ichigo, 11, and Luena, 15, also died within a few days. Autopsies found dehydration and multiple organ failure in all three animals, and zoo officials said they believe the heat caused the health problems.

Across South Korea, North Korea and Japan, the heat wave has led to deaths, hospitalisations, official warnings and widespread disruption, underlining the pressure that extreme temperatures are putting on people, animals and public services in the region.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends