Southeastern city of Yangsan hits 40.3 C; Busan reports highest temperature in 122 years

Temperatures soared to record highs in southeastern parts of Korea on Wednesday, with Busan reporting an all-time high in 122 years, as a sweltering heat wave gripped the nation.

The southeastern city of Yangsan reached 40.3 degrees Celsius at 3:34 p.m. — the highest ever recorded by the state weather agency in the 18 years it has been collecting weather data in the city — according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

The city had previously logged 39.3 degrees on Sunday, matching the previous record set in 2024.

Temperatures in the nearby port city of Busan stood at 38.8 degrees at 2:56 p.m., surpassing the previous record of 37.3 degrees in 2016 to mark the highest since weather tracking for the city began in 1904.

The agency attributed the heat wave to the dual influence of the North Pacific High and the Tibetan High pressure systems, projecting the heat wave to persist through the end of next week.

Earlier in the day, the KMA upgraded a heat wave advisory to a full warning for eastern and southwestern parts of Seoul, marking the capital's second heat wave warning thi ...