South Korea Faces Its Hottest July on Record

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2025-07-10

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This year, nearly 1,000 people have already suffered from heat-related illnesses—double the number from last year—with seven suspected deaths attributed to heatstroke. In early July, Seoul recorded a temperature of 37.7°C, marking the highest temperature ever recorded during the first ten days of July since meteorological observations began in October 1907.

According to South Korea’s automated weather observation systems, on July 8, temperatures reached 40.1°C in Sin-san-ri, Gwangtan-myeon, Paju City, Gyeonggi Province, and 40.2°C in Cheolsan-dong, Gwangmyeong City. This is the first time temperatures have surpassed 40°C since August 4 of last year. The highest temperature ever recorded in South Korea since modern meteorological records began in 1904 was 41°C in Hongcheon County, central Gangwon Province, on August 1, 2018.

On July 8, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) released updated data showing that 977 people have suffered heat-related illnesses since May 15 this year, compared to only 478 during the same period last year—doubling the previous year’s figure. In response to the extreme summer heat, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy reported that South Korea’s national electricity consumption peaked on July 7 at 93.4 gigawatts, a level typically seen during the height of summer.