Heatwave sends crowds to water

[Anchor]

Even at this hour, with darkness fallen, the heat shows no sign of letting up.

Scorching temperatures during the day, and tropical nights after sunset. Where might people have gone today (July 12) to escape the heat?

Reporter Yeo So-yeon reports.

[Report]

Festivalgoers are soaked from the pouring water.

Forgetting the heat, they lose themselves in the music surrounding them.

[Lee Young-cheol/Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul: "Honestly, I don’t really like water, but I want to get soaked right now. That’s how hot it is."]

Today, Seoul's temperature climbed to a sweltering 36 degrees Celsius, and by midday, the water festival site was buzzing with people.

In the ongoing heatwave, fesitval participants beat the heat by drenching each other with water guns.

Valleys near Seoul were also packed with vacationers.

Some played in the cool water with friends and relaxed on the rocks.

[Kim Min-young/Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province: "It feels like the perceived temperature is over 40 degrees, so I came here to escape with my middle school friends. We made fruit punch and shared it together."]

[Jung Seol & Jung Seung-ah/Seocho-gu, Seoul: "We came for a friend's birthday party. It was fun playing in the water despite the heat. We will eat cake and play before we go home."]

With heatwave warnings issued nationwide today, even city residents sought brief relief through water.

[Choi Hyun-jung, Son Ye-won, Moon Jong-cheol/Jinju, Gyeongnam: "Staying home feels suffocating, and it’s better for the kids to be active outdoors. So we decided to come out."]

Children jumping into the fountain, cooling off while creating lasting summer memories with their families.

[Jung So-yeon/Dongnae-gu, Busan: "It’s been hot for days, but I heard it might rain next week. So I wanted to enjoy today while cooling off on this hot day...."]

Tomorrow (July 13), Seoul’s high is forecast to reach 35 degrees, with the heat expected to continue.

This is KBS News, Yeo So-yeon.