KIM Jong-un has urged North Koreans to eat dog meat to help survive a record-breaking heatwave as temperatures soar above 40C.

North Korean state media has recommended dog meat soup as an unlikely remedy for coping with the sweltering conditions.

NKOREA-POLITICSNorth Korea has advised its citizens to eat dog meat Credit: AFP NKOREA-WEATHER-HEATEating dog meat is one of the measure suggested to battle ongoing heatwaves Credit: AFP

The ruling Workers’ Party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, published advice on dealing with the extreme heat after consulting a senior doctor at Pyongyang General Hospital.

The paper warned that “cardiovascular diseases, and hyperthyroidism can worsen due to heat exhaustion and heatstroke.”

Alongside cooling foods such as watermelon and cucumbers, it recommended “highly nutritious foods” including dog meat soup and fish porridge.

Dog meat soup, known locally as dangogi guk, has long been promoted by North Korean authorities as a traditional health tonic.

NKOREA-WEATHER-HEATParts of North Korea has been forced to deal with 40C heat Credit: AFP NKOREA-WEATHER-HEATAcross the border in South Korea, 19 people have been killed in the heat Credit: AFP

But the dish remains too expensive for many North Koreans to afford.

The advice comes as the isolated country battles a brutal .

Some areas have been hit by temperatures of more than 40C, while the capital, Pyongyang, has endured consecutive tropical nights with temperatures failing to drop below 25C.

Across the border, has also been struggling through the scorching conditions.

The prolonged heatwave has left 19 people dead, prompting President Lee Jae Myung to order authorities to step up support for those most at risk.

The southeastern city of Yangsan recorded 42.5C on Sunday – the highest temperature since modern records began.

Other cities such as Daegu and Busan have also been experiencing a heatwave, with temperatures there consistently in the high 30s.

It was also the fifth consecutive day that temperatures somewhere in the country exceeded 40C.

More than 20 regions have been placed under the country’s new emergency heatwave alerts, introduced earlier this year.

South Korea’s agency urged people to “immediately stop all outdoor activities”, warning that “indoor spaces without air conditioning are dangerous.”

“Move immediately to a cool place, such as a designated cooling centre or a shaded area, and stay hydrated while resting,” it advised.

The UK has already endured four record-breaking heatwaves since May, making this one of the hottest summers on record.

The extreme temperatures have also fuelled wildfires across parts of Europe, with blazes erupting in Italy, Spain and France.

On Sunday, while battling wildfires in Greece.

The two victims, a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer, were the only two people on board one helicopter.

A British pilot and another Greek co-ordinator in the second helicopter survived.