NATIONWIDE HEAT WAVE ALERTS

[Anchor Lead]

Heat wave alerts were issued nationwide yesterday as all areas except for Jeju hit daily highs of around 35 degrees Celsius. The heat continued into the night, prompting many Koreans to spend their weekend at cooler riverside parks and movie theaters.

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Hangang Park after sunset. People trying to escape the heat walk along the river. They gather around to drink cold beverages and chase away the heat.

[Soundbite] Yang Hyeon-woo(Seoul Resident) : "It's very refreshing. It's still hot at night, but it's nice and cooler when we have fried chicken outside."

As heatwave alerts are issued nationwide, the stifling heat continues into the night. With the nighttime temperature remaining above 30 degrees Celsius, children jump into the water to cool down, bringing smiles back on their faces.

[Soundbite] Cha Min-ji, Bang So-yi & Cha Min-jeong(Seoul Residents) : "It was so hot that I asked Mom to take us for a swim at the Hangang River. So are you still sweating? I don't sweat anymore."

Movie theaters were crowded with people trying to stay cool during the long hot summer night. The ticket booths were packed with moviegoers and some late night showings were sold out.

[Soundbite] Kang Ji-ae(Seoul Resident) : "Movie theaters are the coolest place. It was probably going to be hot even at night."

[Soundbite] Lee Yeong-hun(Seoul Resident) : "It is so hot and humid after the rainy season. So I decided to see a movie inside a building."

The heat wave and tropical nights are predicted to continue until Wednesday. It is going to cool down a bit from Thursday when rain is expected nationwide. People are advised to stay indoors as much as possible in the middle of the day and hydrate themselves frequently when they are outside.