A worker looks over a construction site in Jung District, Seoul, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Na Min-seo
When a heat warning was issued across Seoul on Sunday, 50-year-old Lee stood gasping for air at a construction site in central Seoul. His attempt to cover his arms and neck with sun-protective sleeves proved futile against the scorching heat, and his work clothes were drenched in sweat.
“It’s literally raining sweat here,” Lee said. “I’m soaked through to my underwear. But I’m dreading next week, which they say is going to be even worse.”
Temperatures in Seoul peaked at 35 degrees Celsius that day. For construction workers surrounded by sun-baked concrete walls and steel frames, conditions were even more unbearable. A thermometer placed on an exterior wall read 39 degrees.
A thermometer at the construction site in Jung District, Seoul, reads 35 degrees Celsius. Korea Times photo by Na Min-seo
