A joint statement from the KDCA and the Fire Department said three deaths were reported in the southwestern city of Gwangju and North Gyeongsang Province on Saturday, as scorching heat continues to plague the Asian nation.

Also, two nonagenarian men were found dead the day before in the city of Suncheon due to heat stroke. These latest reports brought to 13 the total number of heat-related deaths so far this year.

The number of hyperthermia patients from May 20 through last Saturday reached 1,546, and the government is activating an intensive monitoring system, especially for senior citizens and other vulnerable groups.

An intense heat wave has been gripping South Korea since late last month, following the end of the monsoon rainy season, and high temperatures are forecast to continue for another 10 days, according to the Meteorological Administration.

Last week, the South Korean Ministry of Internal Affairs and Security issued the highest heat wave alert and its response posture to Level 1 – the highest one – as temperatures reached around 40 degrees Celsius in some regions.

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