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South Korea Records Highest Temperature in Over a Century
Just the facts
The Korea Meteorological Administration recorded a peak temperature of 42.5 degrees Celsius, or 108.5 degrees Fahrenheit, in the southeastern city of Yangsan at 1:26 p.m. local time on Sunday. The reading marked the fifth consecutive day that temperatures in Yangsan exceeded 40 degrees Celsius. In response to the weather conditions, South Korean authorities placed more than 20 localities under emergency heatwave alerts. Data from the meteorological agency indicates that the average annual number of heatwave days in South Korea has increased from eight days in the 1970s to 19 days over the past five years.
Why this is news
On August 2, 2026, the Korea Meteorological Administration reported that temperatures in the city of Yangsan reached 42.5 degrees Celsius, marking the highest temperature recorded in South Korea since national record-keeping began.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.