South Korea - The Korea Times

Heavy monsoon rain hits most regions; central regions to receive over 150 mm

Heavy downpours are forecast to hit most of South Korea on Friday, including the central and southern regions and Jeju Island, marking the beginning of the year's monsoon season, the weather agency said. The rain will spread to North Gyeongsang and South Gyeongsang provinces during the day, while the southern regions and Jeju may see the downpours ease throughout the day, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The greater Seoul area and northern parts of Gangwon Province will receive heavy downpours of 30 to 50 millimeters per hour in the afternoon, whereas the rain will start falling at night for other parts of the province, as well as North Jeolla and South Chungcheong provinces. The weather agency forecasted over 150 millimeters of rain to fall until Saturday in the greater Seoul area, parts of Gangwon Province, North Jeolla Province, South Chungcheong Province and Daejeon. Other regions, including southern Gyeonggi Province, North Chungcheong Province, South Jeolla Province and Gwangju, are anticipating more than 120 millimeters of rain during the same period. Th

Jun 20, 2025By Yonhap

Heavy monsoon rain hits most regions; central regions to receive over 150 mm

Monsoon season starts in central, southern regions

The annual monsoon season began in the central and southern regions Thursday, the state weather agency said, forecasting torrential downpours in some areas in central and southwestern regions starting late at night. Rain will fall sporadically along the west coast due to the influence of hot and humid air flowing in along the edge of the North Pacific High and the intensity of the rain will increase at night due to a stationary front, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The stationary front will be created by the collision of hot and humid air moving north from the south and cold air moving south from the north, the agency said. The rainy season in the central and southern regions has begun six and four days, respectively, earlier than the 30-year average, the KMA noted. It forecast particularly heavy rainfall for the northern regions of Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul, between Thursday night and Friday afternoon. It also predicted precipitation of 30 to 50 millimeters per hour in central regions and the southwestern province of North Jeolla from Friday n

Jun 19, 2025By Yonhap

Monsoon season starts in central, southern regions

KHNP to apply for standard design approval of new small nuclear reactor

Korea's state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) said Thursday it plans to apply for standard design approval of its innovative small modular reactor (SMR) model later this year to expand the country's foothold in the next-generation global nuclear power market. KHNP plans to draw up the first draft of the application in a meeting with experts to be held through Friday to review the safety of its SMR model and submit the application to regulatory authorities in December, according to company officials. SMRs, advanced nuclear reactors with a power capacity of up to 300 megawatts per unit, have been under the spotlight in recent years amid growing global demand for electricity sparked by the artificial intelligence (AI) boom and the transition to non-fossil fuel energy to tackle climate change. KHNP, which leads Korea's innovative SMR development project, aims to win standard design approval of its SMR model by 2028 and commercialize it by 2035.

Jun 19, 2025By Yonhap

KHNP to apply for standard design approval of new small nuclear reactor

Gov't checks safety measures ahead of heavy monsoon rains in central region

Monsoon rains are forecast to drench Korea's central region this week, prompting authorities to inspect preventative measures against heavy rain damage, officials said Wednesday. More than 200 millimeters of rain is expected to soak the region from Thursday to Saturday, the Korea Meteorological Administration said, raising alarm over possible damage from landslides and flash floods. In response, the interior ministry convened an interagency meeting earlier in the day to inspect and discuss safety and preventative measures against such types of damage during the monsoon season. Vice Minister for Disaster and Safety Management Yi Han-kyung, who presided over the meeting, asked the public to refrain from leaving their homes and entering areas susceptible to damage during heavy rain. "As we enter monsoon season, the government will thoroughly conduct flood damage preventative measures that have been prepared so that the same type of damage does not happen again," he said. (Yonhap)

Jun 18, 2025By Yonhap

Gov't checks safety measures ahead of heavy monsoon rains in central region

Season's 1st heat wave advisory issued for inland areas of Gyeonggi

The season's first heat wave advisory was issued Sunday for inland areas of Gyeonggi Province that surround Seoul. The Korea Meteorological Administration issued the advisory for inland areas of Gyeonggi, including Pocheon, Gapyeong, Paju, Anseong and Yeoju, effective from 9 a.m. A heat wave advisory is issued when the day's highest sensible temperature is expected to remain at 33 degrees Celsius or above for two or more days. The year's first heat wave advisory comes five days later than that of last year. In 2024, the first such alert was issued on June 10 for parts of the Gyeongsang regions.

Jun 15, 2025By Yonhap

Season's 1st heat wave advisory issued for inland areas of Gyeonggi

Korea Heritage Service halts Mount Seorak cable car project over rare plant relocation concerns

The Korea Heritage Service has requested a suspension of construction on the controversial Osaek Cable Car project in Mount Seorak in Gangwon Province, citing the need to review rare plant relocation efforts. The move raises the possibility of delays or even the cancellation of the entire project, as civic groups step up criticism of the plan. According to a report submitted to Rep. Lee Ki-heon of the Democratic Party of Korea and released on Thursday, the agency formally asked Yangyang County on June 11 to halt construction after confirming that the county began relocating rare plant species on June 9 without submitting a detailed implementation plan. In May 2023, the Korea Heritage Service conditionally approved the cable car project on the basis that Yangyang County minimize harm to native vegetation, secure off-site conservation measures for rare plants and ensure the geological stability of tower foundations. Although submitting a relocation plan is not legally required, the agency said it must verify whether the work is proceeding in line with the agreed conditions. The county also

Jun 13, 2025By Hankookilbo

Korea Heritage Service halts Mount Seorak cable car project over rare plant relocation concerns

‘What if we all died at 50?’: Climate crisis imagined in opening film of Seoul environmental festival

What if the price of saving the planet was dying at 50? This provocative question sets the stage for "Can I Get a Witness?" — the opening film of the 22nd Seoul International Eco Film Festival — which began on June 5 to mark World Environment Day. The film paints a vision of a near future where there are no cars on the road, no refrigerators in homes, and no smartphones documenting major life moments — just hand-drawn sketches lit by a single lamp after sundown. It may resemble the past before the Industrial Revolution, but it is, in fact, a society that has deliberately chosen an analog lifestyle to ensure Earth’s survival. In this imagined world, humanity has abandoned the era of “infinite production and infinite consumption,” once defined by reckless carbon emissions. Instead, people lead frugal but contented lives. Poverty and inequality have been eliminated, ecosystems flourish, and nature is stunningly beautiful. And yet, the film’s utopia is built on a haunting premise: all humans die at age 50 under a global constitution designed to prevent resource depletion and m

Jun 7, 2025By Hankookilbo

‘What if we all died at 50?’: Climate crisis imagined in opening film of Seoul environmental festival

Mountain fire breaks out in northern Seoul; main blaze contained

A fire broke out on a mountain in Seoul's northeastern Nowon District on Sunday, prompting authorities to issue an alert advising residents to stay away from the area. The fire occurred at around 8:40 p.m. on Mount Surak behind a community sports center in Sanggye-dong and some 109 firefighters and 30 vehicles had been sent to the site to bring the blaze under control, officials said. They contained the main blaze by 9:52 p.m. Details about any damage were not immediately known, including reports of casualties. The Nowon district said it sent an alert message to all residents in the area advising them against approaching the fire site and to take safety measures, such as closing the windows. Mount Surak extends from the Nowon district to the cities in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, north of Seoul.

Jun 1, 2025By Yonhap

Mountain fire breaks out in northern Seoul; main blaze contained

Temperature in Seoul exceeds 30 C for 1st time this year

The temperature in Seoul exceeded 30 degrees Celsius for the first time this year on Wednesday, hours after setting a new record for the highest daily minimum temperature for May, the state weather agency said. The mercury rose to as high as 30.8 C in the capital city, which was 6.2 C higher than in the average year, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Other parts of the country also saw similarly high temperatures, including 35.2 C in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, and 30.7 C in Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province. In Seoul, there have only been 70 days when the daily maximum temperature for May exceeded 30 C since modern meteorological observations began in the city in October 1907. The KMA said earlier that Seoul and many other regions nationwide had the hottest May morning on record on the day due to the influx of hot and humid southerly winds. In Seoul, the lowest temperature of the day was 23 C, recorded at 5:53 a.m., the highest daily minimum temperature of May since modern meteorological observations began. It was 1.2 C higher than the previous record of

May 21, 2025By Yonhap

Temperature in Seoul exceeds 30 C for 1st time this year

Hottest May morning temperatures observed nationwide

The nation was hit by unseasonal heat Wednesday, as new records for the highest daily minimum temperatures for May were set in the Seoul metropolitan area, the southeastern provinces and other regions, the state weather agency said. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said people in Seoul and many other regions nationwide had the hottest May morning on record on the day due to the influx of hot and humid southerly winds. In Seoul, the lowest temperature of the day was 23 C, recorded at 5:53 a.m., the highest daily minimum temperature of May since modern meteorological observations began in the city in October 1907. It was 1.2 C higher than the previous record of 21.8 C set on May 16, 2018, the KMA noted. The lowest morning temperature in Incheon, some 35 kilometers west of Seoul, was 20.7 C, recorded at 5:50 a.m., which was also the highest daily minimum temperature of May in the city. The same records were also set in many southeastern regions, as the lowest morning temperature was 23.8 C in Pohang, 23.4 C in Uljin, 23.3 C on Ulleung Island and 22 C in Yeongdeok. The KMA said t