South Korea expands highest-level heat alert to cover all of Seoul | East Asia Tonight 4 Aug 2026

With temperatures in South Korea expected to exceed 38 degrees Celsius, President Lee Jae Myung urges the government to treat heatwave as national disaster. Also on East Asia Tonight, in its latest White Paper, Japan says defence is no longer just about security but is also an economic strategy. Meanwhile Toyota lifts its profit forecast, underscoring the weak yen despite recent intervention. 00:00 Introduction 01:21 South Korea heatwave 06:29 Typhoon Dolphin approaches region 07:38 Japan defence white paper 12:11 HSBC results 17:58 Toyota profit forecast 25:45 Chinese military modernisation 40:53 China rural revitalisation - 'young' village