Heat waves are no longer isolated incidents of a certain unlucky year. Extreme heat, which once made headlines as a rare anomaly, now repeats itself every summer.

Even before the season starts, we brace for the inevitable sweltering heat, and wonder with fear how high the mercury will rise this time.

Naturally, we have prepared. We increase the number of air conditioners installed at home and upgrade cooling systems at schools and offices. Even some bus stops now have air-conditioned spaces. We have been making all these efforts because we know that the heat will return.

Yet, some places remain susceptible to the extreme heat, including outdoor workplaces like farms, construction sites and greenhouses.

Recently, a 100-year-old woman was found dead in a field in Wanju, North Jeolla Province. Farmers in their 90s died in a rice paddy in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, and inside a greenhouse in Goseong, Gangwon Province. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the majority of victims of heat-related fatalities are adults aged 65 or older.

While older adults are undoubtedly vulnerable to extreme heat, it doesn’t mean that it is just an age-related issue.

A Thai worker in his 30s, who worked at a napa cabbage farm in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, also recently died. He reportedly began spraying fertilizer at 6 a.m. and collapsed around 3:15 p.m. on his way back to his living quarters. When he was found, his body temperature had spiked to 43 degrees Celsius. At the time, Haenam had been under a heat wave warning for a few days.

These tragedies clearly show who is most vulnerable in this era of climate crisis. Older adults struggle more with body temperature regulation, while migrant workers often find it difficult to stop working due to language barriers and workplace hierarchies. For construction and delivery workers, taking a break directly threatens their immediate livelihood. In short, there are people who simply cannot afford to stop working despite the heat.

It is not that we lack a regulation. Korean law requires employers to provide at least a 20-minute break every two hours when the heat index reaches 33 degrees Celsius or higher.

However, whether this law is actually enforced on the ground is another story, especially in the agriculture sector. For small-scale farms, which make up most of Korea’s agricultural sector, missing even a single day during peak season leads directly to lost yields. That is why many farm owners work alongside their employees right through the blistering heat.

Human rights groups also point out that break regulations are frequently ignored: Neither employers nor workers are fully aware of them, and employees rarely have the guts to demand that their employers allow them to take a rest despite the scorching heat.

Some suggest sending heat wave warnings via text message in multiple languages so migrant workers are better informed. This will help, of course, but it won’t solve the fundamental problem. What we truly lack is a system and a social structure that genuinely enables people to pause. What we need is a broader social consensus.

Heat waves may not be a common phenomenon, but it is society’s choice to drive people to work despite the temperatures. The climate has already changed, and the way we work must change with it. Farmers and laborers should not be forced to choose between their safety and their livelihoods. We must build a society where a heat wave alert is reason enough for everyone to safely take a break.

“It’s too hot. Let’s take a short break.” These words should simply be a matter of course. That’s the new atmosphere we desperately need in this era of extreme heat.

*The writer is the AI Content Team 1 desk editor at The Korea Times. *