Seoul issues city-wide heatwave warning as elderly face heightened risk

Seoul is under a city-wide heatwave warning as temperatures are expected to exceed 35 degrees Celsius for two consecutive days. The warning was upgraded from a "heatwave advisory" for the northwestern part of the city. This extreme heat poses a significant risk to the elderly and other vulnerable populations in Seoul, which has already entered a super-aged society with over 20% of its population aged 65 or older.

Analysis of heatstroke cases reveals that 37.6% of the 378 reported incidents in Seoul last year involved individuals aged 65 and above. Those over 80 were particularly affected, accounting for 19.6% of cases, a rate 2 to 2.5 times higher than in other regions. This contrasts with Incheon, where the 60s demographic was most affected, and Gyeonggi Province, where the 30-59 age group represented nearly half of the cases. Gangwon Province saw a higher incidence among those in their 60s and 70s.

The timing and location of heatstroke incidents also varied. In Seoul, cases were evenly split between early morning (6 a.m. to noon) and afternoon (noon to 5 p.m.), with many occurring in public outdoor spaces like streets and parks. However, in Incheon and Gyeonggi, a majority of cases happened during the hotter afternoon hours, often at outdoor worksites. This highlights the need for targeted monitoring and preventative measures, especially as the rural population ages and the number of elderly individuals increases.