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US decarbonizing efforts ongoing under Trump's presidency, oceans minister says

BUSAN — Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kang Do-hyung rejected the widespread belief that the international community's efforts to fight climate change may backpedal under U.S. President Donald Trump. In response to concerns over Trump's energy policies that seem to favor fossil fuels, the minister stated his belief that the U.S. government is still committed to reducing carbon emissions. "The first thing I asked when I met with former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean Peter Thomson was about the second Trump administration's return to fossil fuels," Kang told reporters from around the world on Tuesday. "I was quite relieved as Kerry told me that previously implemented decarbonizing efforts are still ongoing, although the Trump administration's words and actions ostensibly look different, just like they did during his first presidency," he said. The minister made the remarks during the 10th Our Ocean Conference, which kicked off in Busan this week under the theme "Our Ocean, Our Action." Korea is this year's host for t

Apr 29, 2025By Park Jae-hyuk

US decarbonizing efforts ongoing under Trump's presidency, oceans minister says

Military deploys choppers, personnel to fight Daegu wildfires

The military has mobilized 11 helicopters to help combat wildfires that have continued for the second consecutive day in the southeastern city of Daegu, the defense ministry said Tuesday. Five CH-47 Chinook helicopters are conducting aerial water drop operations, in addition to six Surion utility helicopters that had joined the firefighting operations as of 11 a.m., according to the ministry. The ministry said some 130 troops at the Army's 50th Division are on standby for potential on-ground firefighting operations. The blaze that broke out Monday on Mount Hamji in northern Daegu, some 230 kilometers southeast of Seoul, has forced some 2,000 people to flee their homes. No casualties have been reported so far, with the containment rate standing at 92 percent.

Apr 29, 2025By Yonhap

Military deploys choppers, personnel to fight Daegu wildfires

Main blaze of wildfire in Daegu brought under control

Firefighters brought the main blaze of a wildfire in the southeastern city of Daegu under control Tuesday, nearly 23 hours after the blaze broke out, forcing more than 2,000 residents to evacuate. According to the Korea Forest Service, the fire began Monday afternoon on Mount Hamji in northern Daegu, about 230 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and was largely extinguished by around 1 p.m. Tuesday. Authorities issued the highest-level wildfire response later Monday as the fire, fueled by strong winds, quickly spread toward nearby villages. Although no casualties have been reported, the blaze prompted evacuations of more than 2,000 villagers and temporarily restricted traffic at a nearby highway interchange, which was reopened early Tuesday as conditions stabilized. The fire scorched an area equivalent to 364 soccer fields, leaving approximately 260 hectares of the forest affected. Officials warned that the damage assessment could rise pending further inspections. Firefighting efforts initially struggled against high temperatures, dry weather, and strong winds, with the containment rate remaini

Apr 29, 2025By Yonhap

Main blaze of wildfire in Daegu brought under control

Our Ocean Conference kicks off in Korea

A major global maritime conference kicked off in Korea's southeastern port city of Busan on Tuesday to provide a platform for international discussions on the sustainable future of the ocean. The 10th Our Ocean Conference (OOC) set sail under the theme "Our Ocean, Our Action" for a two-day run at BEXCO, about 325 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Some 2,300 officials, including government delegates from 100 countries and the leaders of international institutions and nongovernmental organizations, have joined the event, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who spearheaded the establishment of the conference, and Peter Thomson, the United Nations (U.N.) secretary-general's special envoy for the ocean, were among the participants. "At this moment, many people are facing risks to their livelihoods and losing their homes due to the rise of sea levels, marine garbage and depletion of fishery resources," Oceans Minister Kang Do-hyung said in an opening speech at the event. "To resolve these problems, we need a more concrete and innovative act

Apr 29, 2025By Yonhap

Fire in Daegu forces over 5,600 residents to evacuate

A fire that broke out on a mountain in the southeastern city of Daegu on Monday around 2 p.m. spread to nearby villages and burned over 151 hectares of forest, displacing over 5,600 people. The National Fire Agency (NFA) issued an emergency response order to mobilize available personnel and equipment from neighboring regions about two hours after the blaze started. Firefighters extinguished some 19 percent of the blaze as of 7:30 p.m. but the flames were spreading quickly due to dry conditions and strong winds. Daegu’s Buk District announced in an emergency message that the fire began around 2:01 p.m. on Mount Hanji and ordered residents and hikers to evacuate at 2:56 p.m. By 5 p.m., 2,216 people living around the affected area were evacuated and took shelter in nearby elementary schools. An additional 3,414 people from 2,164 households were evacuated in the evening, according to the city government. Forest authorities issued the highest level of a three-tier wildfire response system, deploying some 704 personnel, 29 helicopters and 57 fire trucks for the firefighting operation. No casua

Apr 28, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Fire in Daegu forces over 5,600 residents to evacuate

Is DPK coming around on nuclear energy?

After the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan, liberal politicians here embraced the idea of phasing out Korea's reliance on nuclear power, a stance that defined the energy policy of the liberal Moon Jae-in administration. Now, it seems the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is changing its mind on the issue, as party officials say completely excluding nuclear energy is no longer a viable policy option. Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the party’s leading contender for the next presidency, talked of "energy mix," a concept of combining diverse energy sources which usually include nuclear power, in his climate pledges ahead of the June 3 election. On Earth Day on Tuesday, Lee vowed to achieve four long-term objectives for the nation’s environment: mapping out a more specific plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, eliminating the use of plastic, reducing fine dust and preserving biodiversity. In a separate social media message targeting residents on Jeju Island the following day, Lee also said he would lead the efforts to develop more green technologies to make the energy supply more re

Apr 23, 2025By Jung Min-ho

World-OKTA stirs controversy for planning event in wildfire-ravaged Andong

An association of overseas Korean business leaders has touched off a controversy for planning to hold a large-scale gathering in a southeastern city recently devastated by the nation's worst-ever wildfire. The World Federation of Overseas Korean Traders Association (World-OKTA) reportedly plans to hold its 26th leaders' convention and export consultations at the Andong International Convention Center in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, from April 28 to May 1. Andong, 250 kilometers southeast of Seoul, was hit hard by a large-scale forest fire for nine days as recently as late March, leaving thousands of residents displaced. It was previously expected that the event would be postponed or its venue changed, but World-OKTA has decided to push ahead with the original schedule. In addition, some critics point out that World-OKTA may have violated the election law for receiving 400 million won (about $281,700) in subsidies from local governments ahead of the early presidential election slated for June 3. The association has reportedly received subsidies of 150 million won and 250 million won

Apr 22, 2025By Yonhap

World-OKTA stirs controversy for planning event in wildfire-ravaged Andong

Actual damage from North Gyeongsang wildfires is twice gov't estimates

The total area of woodland burned by the massive wildfires that ravaged North Gyeongsang Province last month is twice the initial estimate of the state Korea Forest Service, officials said Thursday. According to a government-led joint investigation, roughly 90,000 hectares of land were damaged by a wave of forest fires that swept across five cities and counties in North Gyeongsang Province in March. Initially, the forest service had put the estimated damage at 45,157 ha, or roughly half the actual area. The revised figure is also nearly four times the 23,794 ha damaged by wildfires on the east coast in 2000, which were the worst in the nation's history at the time. It is unusual for the area of actual damage to be far greater than the initial estimate of areas affected by wildfires, as the latter always includes zones that are later determined to have not been burned. The forest authorities plan to verify the exact extent of the damage and announce it in the coming days.

Apr 17, 2025By Yonhap

Actual damage from North Gyeongsang wildfires is twice gov't estimates

Firefighters battling wildfire in eastern part of DMZ: JCS

Firefighting authorities deployed helicopters Friday to extinguish a wildfire that broke out in the eastern part of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas earlier this week, Korea's military said. Two forestry service helicopters were mobilized at around 6:30 a.m. to fight the blaze that began at about 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the DMZ area in the border county of Goseong, 159 kilometers northeast of Seoul, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the wildfire. The JCS said it aired broadcasts in advance to inform North Korea of the helicopters' entry into the tensely guarded border area, noting there hasn't been any particular response from the North yet. No damage has so far been reported regarding Korean personnel or facilities and firefighting efforts are proceeding smoothly of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) that divides the DMZ, it said. "Our military is maintaining readiness while closely monitoring North Korean activities," it said. The DMZ, which is about 250 km long and 4 km wide, serves as a buffer between the t

Apr 11, 2025By Yonhap

Firefighters battling wildfire in eastern part of DMZ: JCS

Seoul to enforce pigeon feeding ban in parks from July, fines up to $673

Starting in July, anyone caught feeding pigeons in Gwanghwamun Square or major city parks in Seoul will face an immediate fine of up to 1 million won ($673), the city government announced Wednesday. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it will designate 38 city parks and Han River parks in the capital as “wildlife feeding restriction zones” beginning Thursday. The ban and penalty come after amendments to the Wildlife Protection and Management Ordinance in January. Under current law, wild animals in Korea that consistently damage crops or fruit trees in large groups, or those that live in high population densities in certain areas — such as pigeons, sparrows, magpies, crows, water deer and wild boars — are classified as urban pests. After an initial three-year feeding prohibition, the city mayor may review whether to modify or lift the restriction every three years. The prohibited areas are managed by the city government, including the Seoul Forest, Namsan Park, World Cup Park, Yeouido Park, North Seoul Dream Forest and Seoul Grand Park. Seoul Plaza, Gwanghwamun Square, and 11 Han

Apr 9, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Environment & Animals

Environment & Animals

US decarbonizing efforts ongoing under Trump's presidency, oceans minister says

Military deploys choppers, personnel to fight Daegu wildfires

Main blaze of wildfire in Daegu brought under control

Our Ocean Conference kicks off in Korea

Fire in Daegu forces over 5,600 residents to evacuate

Is DPK coming around on nuclear energy?

World-OKTA stirs controversy for planning event in wildfire-ravaged Andong

Actual damage from North Gyeongsang wildfires is twice gov't estimates

Firefighters battling wildfire in eastern part of DMZ: JCS

Seoul to enforce pigeon feeding ban in parks from July, fines up to $673

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