It's another hot and sticky day here in Korea,... the heatwave has pushed temperatures to the high 30s today.<br />The killer weather has already claimed the lives of more than ten people in the country,... but still there's no sign of the heat letting up any time soon.<br />Park Hee-jun reports. Koreans started their work week Monday in record-breaking heat.<br /> According to the Korea Meteorological Administration,... the morning lows in Gangneung on the east coast hit 31 degrees Celsius.<br />That's the hottest morning since the agency was founded more than a century ago in 1907.<br />It's also only the second time that the lows have been above 30 degrees.<br />The first was in August 2013,... when the mercury topped 30-point-9 degrees in the same region.<br /><br /> Heatwave alerts were issued for almost the whole country... with highs in the mid-30s or even higher.<br />Daegu was the hottest at 37-point-6 degrees,... while Seoul and Gwangju saw highs of around 36 degrees.<br /><br /> The heat has already killed 11 people this summer,... the first time a heatwave death toll has reached double digits.<br />Around 1-thousand-50 people are also reported to have been treated for heat-related illnesses, which, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,... is up 60 percent from the same period last year.<br />The center advises people to refrain from outdoor activities in the hottest time of the day, between noon and 5 PM,... and also to stay hydrated and cool,... especially those 50 or older, who are most vulnerable to the heat.<br /><br />**The severe heat has also led to a huge increase in power usage.<br /> The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy reported that between 4 and 5PM,... power demand reached 90-point-7 million kilowatts,... surpassing the previous record of 88-point-2 million kilowatts set this February.<br />That drained reserve power down to only 7-point-6 million kilowatts,... only 8-point-4 percent of capacity.<br />It's the first time this year that back-up power has dropped to the single digits.<br /><br /> "The weather agency says we should probably brace ourselves for a few more weeks... as the heatwave is forecast to continue until next month. Park Hee-jun, Arirang News." <br />
