Right to rest amid extreme heat
Heat waves are no longer isolated incidents of a certain unlucky year. Extreme heat, which once made headlines as a rare anomaly, now repeats itself every summer. Even before the season starts, we brace for the inevitable sweltering heat, and wonder with fear how high the mercury will rise this time. Naturally, we have prepared. We increase the number of air conditioners installed at home and upgrade cooling systems at schools and offices. Even some bus stops now have air-conditioned spaces. We have been making all these efforts because we know that the heat will return. Yet, some places remain susceptible to the extreme heat, including outdoor workplaces like farms, construction sites and greenhouses. Recently, a 100-year-old woman was found dead in a field in Wanju, North Jeolla Province. Farmers in their 90s died in a rice paddy in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, and inside a greenhouse in Goseong, Gangwon Province. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the majority of victims of heat-related fatalities are adults aged 65 or older. While older adults are und
