South Korea - The Korea Times

Wild bees disappearing: Are we spraying pesticides out of fear of stings?

May 20 marks World Bee Day, designated by the United Nations in 2017 to raise awareness about the critical role bees play in protecting ecosystems. Since the first report of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in Florida in 2006 — a phenomenon where honeybees suddenly vanish without a trace — similar incidents have emerged around the world, including in Korea. While CCD is most commonly associated with domesticated honeybees, including both the Western species and Korea’s native variety, concern is growing over the sharp and largely overlooked decline of wild bee populations — bees not bred or managed by humans. Despite their ecological importance as pollinators and biodiversity indicators, wild bees have received minimal attention in research and policy compared to managed honeybee populations. Lee Heung-sik, an agricultural researcher at the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency and co-leader of a bee conservation group, has been studying Korea’s wild bees for over two decades. He shared insights into the crisis. Over 90 percent decline in some areas “We haven’t done nearly enough

May 21, 2025By KTimes

Wild bees disappearing: Are we spraying pesticides out of fear of stings?

Korea suspends imports of Brazilian poultry after bird flu outbreak at chicken farm

Korea has suspended imports of poultry and related products from Brazil after a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak was confirmed at a commercial farm in the country, the agriculture ministry said Saturday. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said the measure follows Brazil's official report to the World Organisation for Animal Health confirming an HPAI outbreak at a breeder farm in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, Friday (local time). Imports of Brazilian poultry products, including hatching eggs and day-old chicks, have been suspended, effective for shipments departing on or after May 15, the ministry said. Shipments that departed within 14 days before the ban will undergo HPAI testing upon arrival. It marked the first time HPAI has been detected at a commercial poultry farm in Brazil, although it was first reported in wild birds in May 2023. Brazil is the world's largest chicken exporter. There are currently 37 shipments, totaling 844 tons of Brazilian chicken meat, awaiting quarantine clearance at Korean ports. Given the timing of shipmen

May 17, 2025By Yonhap

Korea suspends imports of Brazilian poultry after bird flu outbreak at chicken farm

Heavy rain hits Seoul area, triggers year's 1st emergency text alert

Heavier-than-expected rainfall hit the greater Seoul area Friday, prompting the year's first emergency text alert for heavy rain to be sent via mobile phones to residents in parts of the region. At around 4:30 p.m., residents of Onam-eup in Namyangju, about 25 kilometers east of Seoul, received an emergency text message warning of torrential rain after the area recorded 74 millimeters of rainfall in just one hour. The Korea Meteorological Administration issues such alerts when hourly rainfall exceeds 50 mm and three-hour cumulative rainfall tops 90 mm, or when one-hour rainfall alone surpasses 72 mm. Eighteen streams in Seoul, including Cheonggye Stream and Anyang Stream, were closed to the public due to torrential downpours, according to Seoul city officials. Rain also caused traffic congestion on major roads during the evening rush hour. Weather officials said the heavy rain was likely caused by a mix of cold air lingering in the upper atmosphere over Seoul and warm, humid air flowing into the lower atmosphere due to a low-pressure system passing south of the peninsula. Rain is expected

May 16, 2025By Yonhap

Heavy rain hits Seoul area, triggers year's 1st emergency text alert

Two-thirds of Korean manufacturers view carbon neutrality policy as regulatory burden, poll shows

Nearly two-thirds of Korean manufacturers perceive the country's current carbon neutrality policy as a regulatory burden, a poll showed Thursday, underscoring the need for a shift toward a more incentive-based approach. According to the recent survey conducted by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) on the country's leading 1,000 manufacturing companies, 64.2 percent of the 120 firms that offered responses said they consider the current carbon neutrality policy as a constraint. Of the respondents, 31.6 percent assessed the policy as neutral. Only 4.2 percent said they see the policy as providing sufficient incentives. The survey was conducted ahead of the government's submission of its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for 2035 to the United Nations and the establishment of the fourth phase of the country's national emissions trading scheme. Korea aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent from 2018 levels by 2030 under the current NDC scheme. However, 57.5 percent of respondents said they believe the target is unlikely to be achieved, while only 5 percent

May 15, 2025By Yonhap

Two-thirds of Korean manufacturers view carbon neutrality policy as regulatory burden, poll shows

Woof! 67 lucky dogs embark on cross-ocean journey to find forever families

CHEONGJU, North Chungcheong Province — Ginger and Cinnamon, two dogs confined to a cramped, filthy wire cage on a dog meat farm in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, had known nothing but hardship. But their lives took a dramatic turn on Thursday morning, when they were finally rescued from their grim existence. “This white puppy is Ginger and the brown one is called Cinnamon. They’re brothers but very different. For some reason, Ginger cannot stand Cinnamon eating his food, so we needed to watch them after feeding them,” said Lee Sang-kyung, the campaign manager of the Korean office of the U.S.-based animal advocacy group Humane World for Animals, who visited the site several times since February. The moment the pups saw Lee, they barked joyfully and wagged their tails. Like any other puppies, Ginger and Cinnamon are playful and friendly, yet their lives have been shaped by tragedy. All they've known — the sights, smells and sounds — were confined to a small dog meat farm in rural Korea. "The puppies will soon embark on a long journey to a new life, leaving Korea behind a

May 13, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Woof! 67 lucky dogs embark on cross-ocean journey to find forever families

Navy vows to prevent oil spills after massive containment efforts

The Navy vowed efforts Monday to prevent a possible recurrence of an oil leak after thousands of liters of fuel accidentally spilled into the sea during a weekend naval operation. A total of 8,400 liters of diesel spilled into waters off the southern port city of Jinhae, some 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Sunday morning during a fueling operation on a 2,500-ton warship, according to the Navy and the Coast Guard. Containment efforts, jointly conducted by the Navy and the Coast Guard, concluded at around 7:30 p.m. Sunday. The Navy said it will sternly determine the cause of the accident and take necessary measures in accordance with law to prevent similar accidents.

May 12, 2025By Yonhap

Navy vows to prevent oil spills after massive containment efforts

3.3 magnitude earthquake strikes border county north of Seoul: weather agency

A 3.3 magnitude earthquake struck the northern border county of Yeoncheon on Saturday, the country's second-most powerful quake of the year, the state weather agency said. The quake hit an area about 5 kilometers northeast of the county in Gyeonggi Province, with the epicenter estimated at a depth of 9 km, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said. People in the Gyeonggi area and northern Gangwon Province may have felt minor tremors, or noticed dishes and windows shaking if they were indoors, the KMA said. No damage was reported. The National Fire Agency said it received about a dozen reports of tremors. It was the second-strongest earthquake to hit South Korea and its surrounding waters this year. The most powerful quake so far occurred Monday in the central coastal county of Taean in South Chungcheong Province, at a magnitude of 3.7.

May 10, 2025By Yonhap

3.3 magnitude earthquake strikes border county north of Seoul: weather agency

Main blaze in wildfire in Daegu contained

The main blaze in a wildfire that reignited on a mountain in the southeastern city of Daegu has been contained, forest service authorities said Thursday. About 40 helicopters and 900 personnel were deployed to put out the wildfire that reignited on Mount Hamji in Daegu, with firefighters trying to extinguish smoldering fires, according to officials at the Korea Forest Service. The fire, which began Monday afternoon, was extinguished nearly 23 hours later on Tuesday afternoon after scorching 260 hectares of land and forcing more than 2,000 people to evacuate. That evening, however, the fire began reigniting on parts of the mountain and, by Wednesday evening, had spread close to nearby residential areas, fanned by strong winds.

May 1, 2025By Yonhap

Main blaze in wildfire in Daegu contained

Emergency response order issued again as wildfire reignites in Daegu

The National Fire Agency (NFA) on Wednesday issued an order to mobilize available personnel and equipment nationwide to combat a fire that reignited in the southeastern city of Daegu. The NFA issued the order shortly after the fire reignited on Mount Hamji in the city some 230 kilometers southeast of Seoul in the afternoon. The fire, which began Monday afternoon, was extinguished nearly 23 hours later on Tuesday afternoon after scorching 260 hectares of land and forcing more than 2,000 people to evacuate. That evening, however, the fire began reigniting on parts of the mountain and, by Wednesday evening, had spread close to nearby residential areas, fanned by strong winds. The NFA had issued a similar mobilization order Monday when the fire first broke out, before lifting it the following day after the main body of the fire was brought under control. As of 5:50 p.m., a fire line of about 2.1 kilometers had formed in the area, approaching a densely populated residential district with apartment buildings, according to the Korea Forest Service (KFS). An emergency alert was also issued, advisi

Apr 30, 2025By Yonhap

Emergency response order issued again as wildfire reignites in Daegu

Wildfires partially reignite in Daegu

Wildfires reignited in parts of the southeastern city of Daegu, prompting authorities to resume firefighting operations after sunrise on Wednesday, officials said. The fire, which began Monday afternoon on Mount Hamji in northern Daegu, about 230 kilometers southeast of Seoul, was extinguished nearly 23 hours later on Tuesday afternoon after scorching 260 hectares of land and forcing more than 2,000 people to evacuate. On Tuesday evening, however, the fire reignited on parts of the mountain. The Korea Forest Service said it dispatched 14 helicopters and personnel to the scene after sunrise to extinguish the fires. The scale of the fires has not been determined, but significant plumes of smoke were reportedly seen at the site.