Remembering Cooler Summers: A 1990 Photo Contrasts with Today's Intense Heatwave

As a relentless heatwave grips the nation, many are desperately seeking ways to cool down. Even popular spots like Haeundae Beach in Busan are experiencing a lull, with the sand reportedly too hot to handle. The intense heat makes the idea of a cool escape, like a trip to Mongolia planned by a friend working in Seoul's finance sector, seem increasingly appealing.

This intense summer heat brings to mind a different era. A photograph from the summer of 1990, taken just as the month-long monsoon season was ending, captures a moment of pure joy. A Dong-A Ilbo reporter photographed children splashing in the Ui-dong valley, a place that was once a common summer retreat for local youth. The caption reads: "Children's innocence washes away the heat by the waterfall."

In those days, the valley served as a natural playground for neighborhood kids during the summer months. The image offers a nostalgic glimpse into a time when cooling off in local streams was a simple, accessible pleasure, a stark contrast to the oppressive heat experienced today. The article prompts readers to consider how they are enduring the current scorching temperatures.

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Children's innocence washes away the heat by the waterfall.