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Weather forecaster warns of disappearing spring and fall

People wearing down coats cross the street in Gwangwhamun in central Seoul, Oct. 17, as unseasonably cold weather has gripped the country. Korea Times fileBy Yoon Ja-youngMany Koreans cite “four distinct seasons” as uniquely characterizing the country, but this historical climactic character may change soon. With many people startled by the early cold wave currently gripping the nation, a weather forecaster has said that spring and fall may virtually disappear from Korea's four seasons.Ban Ki-song, the director at Kweather, a private weather service provider, said in an interview with CBS Radio, Oct. 18, that his agency predicts the winter to be colder than usual this year.He said that Korea's winter tends to be especially cold when La Nina has formed, and added that La Nina has continued recently. He also cited melting Arctic ice and the fact that the Arctic Oscillation Index is hovering below zero as indicators that this winter will be colder than usual. Ban said that the recent sudden temperature drop is related to climate change, which is producing extreme changes in

Oct 19, 2021By Yoon Ja-young

Weather forecaster warns of disappearing spring and fall

First frost of season spotted in Seoul as chilly weather continues

Pedestrians wearing coats and masks walk in central Seoul, Oct. 18. The first frost of the season was observed in Seoul on Monday as unseasonably cold weather continued for most parts of the country in the morning, the state weather agency said. YonhapThe first frost of the season was observed in Seoul on Monday as unseasonably cold weather continued for most parts of the country in the morning, the state weather agency said.Morning lows hovered around 5 C across the country, slightly up from Sunday, when some areas experienced record-low temperatures for mid-October, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said.The first frost of this fall was spotted in Seoul and nearby Suwon, the agency said.The weather is expected to warm up in the afternoon as the cold front weakens and warm southerly winds prevail.Daytime highs are forecast to range from 13 C to 19 C, lower than the average of 19 C to 22.5 C but higher than Sunday's 10.2 C to 16.7 C, the KMA said. On Sunday, the morning low in Seoul came to 1.3 C, the lowest for mid-October since 1957. The unseasonable cold snap is expect

Oct 18, 2021

First frost of season spotted in Seoul as chilly weather continues

PHOTOS Trees covered with frost as unseasonably cold weather continues

INTERVIEW The case for building cities out of wood

The Hangreen, a 19.1-meter building mostly made of wood, stands in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The five-story structure symbolizes the new trend of eco-friendly construction in Korea. Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-minKorea embraces timber as key construction materialBy Jung Min-hoKorea Forest Service Deputy Minister Choi Byeong-am speaks during a recent interview with The Korea Times at his office in Daejeon. Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-minYEONGJU/DAEJEON ― For more than a century, concrete and steel have replaced wood as primary building materials, especially for tall structures. But thanks to increasing demand for “greener construction” and technological advances, timber is back in style.The Hangreen, a 19.1-meter wooden building in Yeongju, symbolizes the new trend in Korea. The five-story structure, mainly made of Korean larch, a common tree species here, marks only the beginning of a new era of architecture, according to Choi Byeong-am, deputy minister of the Korea Forest Service (KFS).“Imagine a wooden skyscraper in the heart of Seoul,” Choi sa

Aug 25, 2020By Jung Min-ho

[INTERVIEW] The case for building cities out of wood

Fair elections

Workers of the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission hold placards calling for fair elections to select the president and Seoul’s educational chief in front of the commission’s office in central Seoul, Thursday, 40 days ahead of the Dec. 19 polls./ Yonhap

Nov 8, 2012

Korea's 1st-ever WCC to open on Jeju

Participants to tackle environmental challenges By Yi Whan-woo A record number of 10,000 delegates from more than 170 countries will participate in the 2012 World Conservation Congress that kicks off its 10-day run on Jeju Island on Thursday. The delegates include global environmental leaders and experts from the United Nations (U.N.), government agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), firms, and activists. Matching the size of attendance, hundreds of programs will be presented at the world’s oldest and largest environmental conference organized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 1948. “The unprecedented scale and quality of the Jeju Congress will prove why this IUCN conference is dubbed as the ‘Environmental Olympics,’” said Lee Hong-koo, chairman of the organizing committee. “And I guarantee that the conference will be remembered as the best-ever meeting.” IUCN President Ashok Khosla echoed a similar view: “It is my personal hope that this will be the best-ever World Conservation Congress ― and with a little goodwill o

Sep 5, 2012By Yi Whan-woo

'Korea presents model case of green growth'

Korea bridges developed, developing nations with green growth

By Yi Whan-woo The 2012 World Conservation Congress will boost the nation to serve as a bridge between developed and developing countries in environmental policies, said Lee Hong-koo, chairman of the organizing committee. He said that green growth, one of the nation’s major environmental policies, is the key to achieving both economic development and conservation of nature by promoting green technology and products. “By showing how much we’re focused on achieving the goal, we can build trust in our environmental strategy in the international community,” he said in an interview with The Korea Times. “I hope people around the world recognize our efforts right here on Jeju Island.” The world has been suffering from rapid climate change as well as economic crises. These problems have made people wonder if they can maintain sustainable development. Developed countries, including the U.S., European nations and Japan, have sought to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to cope with climate changes. The recent eurozone crisis, however, has caused rich states to turn their attenti

Sep 5, 2012By Yi Whan-woo

Strive to take better care of environment

By Kim Bo-eun The World Conservation Congress will push Korea to excel as a green growth nation with increased awareness on the protection of nature, said Ashok Khosla, president of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The president valued Korea’s economic success and its efforts against global environmental challenges the country has shown through the preparations of the conference on Jeju Island. “Korea with an impressive economic miracle is at the stage of finding it necessary to start making investments in its environment,” the president stated in a written interview with The Korea Times. “It is happening in Korea already ― urban renewal, massive forestation, clean technology ― and I hope very much that the World Conservation Congress and the presence of the IUCN will accelerate this process, particularly in the area of living resources and their diversity.” He said that the international community should turn their eyes on the protection of biodiversity despite the financial crisis that is sweeping across Europe and other parts of the wo

Sep 5, 2012By Kim Bo-eun

Int'l cooperation crucial to sustainable development

By Yi Whan-woo Korea plays a leading role in dealing with environmental challenges in the international community with the country’s green growth strategy as the driving force, according to Minister of Environment Yoo Young-sook. “Sustainable development requires not only state support but also worldwide collaboration, and keeping a close relationship with other countries is crucial,” she said in a interview with The Korea Times. The country has tried to reduce greenhouse emissions to cope with the rapid climate changes that pose a threat to the globe. The government has conducted an environmental impact assessment on greenhouse gases since 2010 and its data show that the nation cut such emissions by 11.47 million tons between 2010 and 2011. The reduced amount is 4.7 percent of the 2020 target of 244 million tons. “In May, the National Assembly passed a bill on carbon emission trading or cap-and-trade to lay the legal groundwork for cutting down greenhouse gas emissions,” Yoo said. “The trading will begin in 2015 and we’ll be fully ready to move toward a green econom

Sep 5, 2012By Yi Whan-woo

Jeju Islands aims to become global environmental capital

By Kim Bo-eun The World Conservation Congress (WCC) will give Jeju Island a good opportunity to emerge as the “world’s environmental capital,” said Woo Keun-min, governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. “The congress will show the international community that the resort island offers a unique experience in terms of conferences and tours,” he said. The 10-day event will be held in East Asia for the first time after the island beat Cancun, an international resort island in Mexico, in a vote in 2009. A record number of 10,000 delegates from more than 170 countries are on hand. And the Ministry of Environment, the co-host of the congress with Jeju estimates that the province will gain direct and indirect economic benefits of up to 340 billion won ($299.8 million). The conference also draws attention to a Jeju Declaration to be issued at the closing of the event. The declaration is expected to include a summary of resolutions that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) will recommend the participating countries, governments, nongovernmental organ

Sep 5, 2012By Kim Bo-eun

Green growth essential to saving 'Earth in danger' (50)

By Lee Myung-bak First and foremost, I am grateful to the staff of The Korea Times for their hard work in publishing the feature series “Earth in danger” over the past six months. My thanks should also go to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and all other contributors from various sectors. As many have noted with great concern, Earth is now in danger. Global warming caused by greenhouse gases emitted during industrialization now poses a threat even to the very nexus of life, from water to energy to food resources. Accelerated climate change adds to the sharp increase of disasters and the ensuing damage, rapid expansion of desertification and the reduction in biodiversity on a daily basis. A new path we have to take The conclusion I arrived at after much hard thought was that we should not pass on an earth in danger to our posterity. Novel ways of thinking and behavior were needed. We should choose a new path that would ensure sustainable prosperity and safety for future generations. In the first year of my presidency in 2008, I announced “Low Carbon, Green Growth” as a

Jul 30, 2012

Environment & Animals

Environment & Animals

Weather forecaster warns of disappearing spring and fall

First frost of season spotted in Seoul as chilly weather continues

INTERVIEW The case for building cities out of wood

Fair elections

Korea's 1st-ever WCC to open on Jeju

Korea bridges developed, developing nations with green growth

Strive to take better care of environment

Int'l cooperation crucial to sustainable development

Jeju Islands aims to become global environmental capital

Green growth essential to saving 'Earth in danger' (50)

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