South Korea’s professional baseball league has cancelled all scheduled games for Wednesday and Thursday due to an intense heatwave that has overwhelmed the country.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) made the decision following a series of record-breaking temperatures, reaching a high of 42.5°C recently. The extreme heat has forced many spectators to seek medical attention, with over 2,200 heat-related illnesses and 19 deaths reported between mid-May and early August.
President Lee Jae Myung recently urged authorities to treat the heatwave as a national disaster and implement urgent protective measures. In line with this, the KBO stated: “We have decided to call off all games on August 5-6 until comprehensive safety measures are established.” The cancellations affect 10 games across the country.
Earlier disruptions included two cancelled games on Tuesday after multiple spectators collapsed due to heat exhaustion. During a match between the SSG Landers and LG Twins in Incheon, a spectator collapsed, causing a temporary halt to the game while emergency services responded. The SSG Landers reported that 25 spectators required treatment for heat-related conditions during that game alone.
The KBO plans to hold an emergency meeting with club officials and the players’ association to discuss further safety protocols as the heatwave persists, especially in Seoul where the highest-level heat alerts remain in effect.
