The scenes caused by a record heat wave in Northeast Asia illustrate how extreme temperatures have gripped South Korea, North Korea and Japan. North Korean authorities have issued a heat wave advisory in many areas and called for people to take safety steps to avoid heat-related health problems. Japan’s anti-disaster agency reported more than 18,000 people with heat stroke symptoms were transported to hospitals during the week of July 20 to 26. In a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials to view the ongoing heat wave as “a national disaster” and make all-out efforts to protect lives. Humans and animals suffer in Japan heatJapan’s Environment Ministry issued a heat stroke alert for most of the western and southern Japan on Wednesday.