South Korea Scraps Two-Day Heat Rule That Let Peak Danger Pass Unwarned

South Korea has scrapped a two-day heat rule that could allow peak danger to pass without warnings, amid escalating extreme heat. In a week in August 2026, the Korea Baseball Organization canceled all weekend games through Sunday and said the league will permanently suspend games whenever the Korea Meteorological Administration issues its highest-tier Severe Heatwave Warning. For lower-level heat advisories or warnings, officials will check on-site apparent temperature three hours before first pitch. The KBO also moved start times to 7 p.m. from 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and 6 p.m. on weekends, added cooling breaks after the 3rd, 5th and 7th innings, and kept one exception for the fully enclosed Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported 21 confirmed heat deaths and 2,441 ER visits since monitoring began May 15.