Scorching temperatures that beset the country after the monsoon season has resulted in ten deaths as of Saturday.

The Korea Disease and Prevention Agency announced that its monitoring system recorded seven heat-related deaths on Saturday alone, six of whom were aged 70 or older, with most doing farm work when they collapsed from the searing conditions.

The total is four more than the same period last year, while the number of patients suffering from heat-induced illnesses was comparable at one-thousand-15.

In response to the climbing fatalities, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will convene an emergency meeting with related agencies and local governments on Monday to devise responses to the extreme heat and develop plans to prevent further heat-related illnesses.