North Korean people struggling to make a living amid record heat are facing a double and triple crisis. Some collapse from heat illness while working outdoors; others run into robbers while moving at dawn or at night to avoid the heat. With no emergency medical system and public safety breaking down, their lives are at serious risk.
A Daily NK source in North Pyongan province said Tuesday that people in Yomju and Ryongchon counties travel between the city and the countryside to sell vegetables, seasonal fruit and corn. Many have repeatedly collapsed in the street after exposure to the midday heat.
“People who live hand to mouth have no choice but to go outside despite the heat,” the source said. “Their livelihood is cut off the moment they stop working. But the heat has gotten so severe that it’s hard to even breathe. Several people a day are seen suddenly losing consciousness and collapsing in the street.”
The bigger problem is that North Korea has no proper emergency medical system to respond. If people feel unwell, their only real option is to find shade and rest or drink water on their own. If someone loses consciousness and collapses, they depend entirely on the help of passersby, according to the source.
“I’ve also seen several people collapsed on the roadside recently. I joined other passersby to move them into the shade or bring them water,” the source said. “It’s not a state rescue system. It’s ordinary people’s goodwill that’s saving lives.”
“These days I often hear stories about people dying from the heat,” the source continued. “But all the state offers is advice like ‘drink apple juice’ or ‘radish juice helps.'”
Even as the risk of heat illness peaks, people still need to earn a living by any means. Many are moving before sunrise or after sunset to avoid the midday heat. But robbery is thriving under cover of darkness, pushing people into a different kind of danger.
Robberies rise as people move at night
“More people are doing business or carrying goods at dawn or at night because they can’t stand the daytime heat,” the source said. “But robbery incidents targeting those hours are also increasing. It’s a vicious cycle. Trying to avoid the heat exposes people to crime instead.”
Weather is beyond anyone’s control. But complaints toward authorities are growing as even a minimal social safety net fails to function, according to the source.
“People are asking why authorities can’t at least strengthen patrols,” the source said, describing the mood on the ground. “If they can’t properly run ambulances or emergency treatment, they should at least help people move around safely. More and more people are saying, ‘Neither the state nor the weather is helping us.'”
Reporting from inside North Korea
Daily NK operates networks of sources inside North Korea who document events in real-time and transmit information through secure channels. Unlike reporting based on state media, satellite imagery, or defector accounts from years past, our journalism comes directly from people currently living under the regime. We verify reports through multiple independent sources and cross-reference details before publication.
Our sources remain anonymous because contact with foreign media is treated as a capital offense in North Korea — discovery means imprisonment or execution. This network-based approach allows Daily NK to report on developments other outlets cannot access: market trends, policy implementation, public sentiment, and daily realities that never appear in official narratives.
Maintaining these secure communication channels and protecting source identities requires specialized protocols and constant vigilance. Daily NK serves as a bridge between North Koreans and the outside world, documenting what’s happening inside one of the world’s most closed societies.
