South Korea baseball league cancels games over heatwave

South Korea's professional baseball league has cancelled all games scheduled for August 5 and 6 during a record-setting heatwave that has sent spectators to hospital.

The Korea Baseball Organization said it would call off the games until comprehensive safety measures are established, citing risks to players and fans as extreme temperatures persist. Local reports said 10 games across the country were affected.

South Korea has set new all-time temperature highs three times in the past week, peaking at 42.5C on Sunday. The east and west regions of Seoul remained under the highest-level heat alert on Wednesday. The alert is issued when the heat index is forecast to reach 38C or temperatures are expected to climb to 39C or higher.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said 2,221 people suffered heat-related illnesses between May 15 and August 3, including an estimated 19 deaths.

The KBO said it would hold an emergency executive committee meeting with club officials and representatives of the players' association to discuss additional safety measures.

The league had cancelled two games on Tuesday, at Seoul's Jamsil Stadium and in the southwestern city of Gwangju, after multiple spectators collapsed because of the heat.

During Tuesday's game between the SSG Landers and LG Twins in Incheon, a male spectator collapsed from a suspected heat-related illness, causing a nine-minute suspension before he was taken to hospital by ambulance, an SSG official told AFP. SSG Landers said 25 spectators were treated for heat-related illnesses during the game.

President Lee Jae Myung had asked authorities a day earlier to treat the heatwave "as a national disaster" and take measures to protect lives.