Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Experts call for preemptive, systematic responses to ‘killer heat’
Workers wearing helmets work under scorching heat at a construction site in Ulsan, July 3. Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
Policymakers consider further measures after break mandate for outdoor workers
Editor’s note
This is the first in a two-part series on how extreme weather events are testing the government's response, from the immediate aftermath of a crisis to long-term strategies for building national resilience. — ED.
A Vietnamese construction worker, just 23 years old and on his first day at a site in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, was found dead while working in scorching heat earlier this month. His body temperature had soared above 40 degrees Celsius ― a clear sign of fatal heat stroke ― by the time other workers found him.
The tragedy serves as a stark warning about the dangers of extreme heat. On July 8, the day after the death, Seoul recorded a daytime high of 37.8 degrees Celsius ― the highest early July temperature since data collection began in 1907. Temperature in Gumi also went up to as high as 37.2 degrees the same day.
The incident was also a sobering reminder that certain groups ― such as outdoor workers ― are especially vulnerable to the dangers of extreme heat. As climate experts warn that the intensity and frequency of heat waves are only expected to grow more severe in the future, activists are calling for stronger legal protections and targeted policies for those most at risk.
“Many migrant workers are unable to quickly understand heat wave alerts because they are sent only in Korean,” Udaya Rai, leader of the Migrants’ Trade Union, explained. “We have repeatedly asked the government and employers for multilingual warnings, but so far, little has changed.”
Graphic by Cho Sang-won
The urgency of the issue is underscored by recent statistics. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, 3,704 cases of heat-related illness were reported last year, with 34 resulting in death. As of Friday, there were 2,199 cases, compared with 772 during the same period in 2024. With continued record heat forecast into early August, the numbers are expected to rise further.
To address these risks, the National Assembly amended the Industrial Safety and Health Act last year. Now, outdoor workers must receive at least 20 minutes of rest every two hours whenever the perceived temperature, or heat index, exceeds 33 degrees Celsius.
Yet, experts say more nuanced, systematic measures are needed.
“For example, how physically demanding the work is and how much strain it puts on the worker’s heart and body should also be considered ― not just temperature thresholds,” said Kim In-ah, a professor of occupational and environmental medicine at Hanyang University. “If the work is very taxing, even lower temperatures can be dangerous. Uniform material also matters ― cooling fabrics and breathable clothing lower the risk of heat-related illness, even at the same temperature.”
Kim confirmed it would be possible to estimate such figures in real time, thanks to new solutions developed in recent years, such as fabrics specifically designed to keep wearers cooler and wearable devices that can monitor heart rate and other health and body metrics. “With the aid of such new technologies, more people can be protected if there is political will,” she added.
Pedestrians cross the street in Seoul, Friday, amid a heat wave warning. Newsis
Lee Jeong-il, a professor at the state-run National Disaster Management Training Institute, suggested flexible work hours as another strategy to mitigate heat stress at workplaces.
“By adjusting schedules to avoid the hottest parts of the day, the risk drops significantly,” he said. “Night shift pay might become an issue, but if policymakers are serious about putting safety above all else, it is not impossible to help more companies in certain industries adopt flexible work hour systems.”
Lee also noted that securing and stabilizing energy sources is critical for the government in its efforts to battle extreme heat, given that high-temperature conditions dramatically increase the demand for electricity due to widespread air conditioning and cooling needs.
In a push for employers to adopt stronger protections for employees working in the heat, 22 liberal lawmakers have proposed a bill seeking to give more rights to workers, including the right to stop work when the heat is deemed “significantly hazardous to health.”
“For now, we are going to see how the 20-minute break mandate protects workers. If there is a need for further protection, we will push for more legislative measures,” said an official at the office of Rep. Lee Yong-woo, who led efforts for the bill.