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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Korea on high alert amid downpour forecasts; heavy rain pounds Muan

Heavier-than-expected downpours were forecast in Korea's southern provinces, with a near-record 142.1 millimeters of rain falling in the southwestern county of Muan in just an hourlong span Sunday, the state weather agency said. The precipitation reported in Muan between 7:10 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. Sunday accounted for roughly 11 percent of the annual average rainfall in the county. The country's record hourlong precipitation stands at 145 mm, logged in July 1998. As of 9 p.m., 30 to 80 mm of rainfall per hour had been reported in the country's southern and western provinces, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The rainfall is expected to continue through Tuesday morning, with precipitation reaching 100 to 200 mm and up to 250 mm in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, excluding the southern coastal areas. The KMA forecast 30 to 80 mm of rain per hour to fall in most parts of the country through Monday morning. In preparation for heavy rains, the interior ministry had activated the Level 1 operation of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for the

Aug 3, 2025By Yonhap
Korea on high alert amid downpour forecasts; heavy rain pounds Muan

Seoul sets record 23 tropical nights for July

The number of tropical nights in Seoul in July was tallied at a record high of 23, the state weather service said Friday, forecasting the daytime high will surge to 37 degrees Celsius the capital. Seoul and many other cities nationwide, including Incheon, Cheongju of North Chungcheong Province, Gangneung of Gangwon Province and Seogwipo of the southern Jeju Island, experienced the tropical nights between Thursday and Friday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). A tropical night refers to a phenomenon when nighttime temperatures stay above 25 degrees Celsius from 6:01 p.m. to 9 a.m. the following day. Seoul's 23 tropical nights were the most for any July since modern weather observations began 117 years ago. Including the tropical nights that occurred in June, the number of tropical nights in Seoul this year is already 25, the fifth most on record, the KMA said, forecasting the ranking is expected to rise as heat waves are likely to continue through August.

Aug 1, 2025By Yonhap
Seoul sets record 23 tropical nights for July

Bananas ripen in Seoul as scorching summer sparks tropical fruit bloom

As Seoul endures a record-breaking heat wave this summer, an unexpected tropical fruit has begun to take root at an urban farm nestled at the foot of Mount Buram in northern Seoul. The banana tree, native to Southeast Asia’s humid climates, stands tall and vibrant on a sweltering Thursday afternoon at Cheonsu Urban Farm in Nowon District, nearly one and a half times the average height of an adult man. Its broad, waxy leaves and clusters of ripening fruit have become a local curiosity — and a striking symbol of Korea’s shifting climate. A rise in average temperatures in Korea — 1.6 degrees Celsius higher than in the early 20th century — has lengthened the growing season, allowing more farmers to cultivate mangoes, bananas, papayas and dragon fruit. “We began cultivating bananas about four years ago as an experiment, inspired by the success of other subtropical fruits like figs in the warming climate,” said Ma Myung-sun, 75, who has managed the 2,300-square-meter Cheonsu Urban Farm community garden for nearly three decades. He spoke with The Korea Times at his farm. “Now, o

Aug 1, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Bananas ripen in Seoul as scorching summer sparks tropical fruit bloom

Lee calls for building next-generation power grid with focus on renewable energy

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday called for establishing a next-generation power grid as he underscored the importance of shifting the country's power supply infrastructure to one that centers on renewable energy. "Energy transition has become an essential task," Lee said as he presided over a meeting of senior presidential aides. "On top of an artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, the supply of renewable energy through power grid improvement has become very urgent." Lee instructed the government to draw up measures to establish a next-generation power grid that lowers the inefficiency of long-distance power transmissions and makes use of cutting-edge AI technology. The presidential office said the government will turn South Jeolla Province into a hub for such a plan, noting the region's potential for supplying renewable energy. Kim Yong-beom, the presidential chief of staff for policy, said in a press briefing that the government plans to establish industrial complexes for renewable energy micro grids by using steel and petrochemical industrial complexes in the region. The governme

Jul 31, 2025By Yonhap
Lee calls for building next-generation power grid with focus on renewable energy

Heat-related death toll rises to 16 amid record long heat wave

A total of 16 people have died from heat-related illnesses in Korea so far this year as the country continues to endure severe heat waves, health authorities said Thursday. A total of 2,900 patients had visited emergency rooms for heat-related conditions as of Wednesday since mid-May, when authorities launched the heat-related illness surveillance system. Of those patients, 16 have died, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). As the heat wave persists, daily cases of heat-related illnesses have exceeded 100 for nine consecutive days since July 22. Deaths have also been reported for four days in a row. Compared with the same period last year, the number of patients has increased about 2.6 times, while the number of deaths more than doubled, the KDCA said. Among the patients reported this year, heat exhaustion, commonly known as sunstroke, accounted for 60.7 percent, followed by heat stroke at 16.4 percent, heat cramps at 13.4 percent and heat syncope at 8.1 percent. By age group, those aged 65 and older accounted for 31.7 percent of the total patients. Most par

Jul 31, 2025By Yonhap
Heat-related death toll rises to 16 amid record long heat wave

'GGGI will become strong player in carbon market and AI'

In the past six months, many in Korea have sought to understand the disrupted landscape brought on by domestic and international political chaos, including the aggressive return of the Donald Trump administration. Kim Sang-hyup, who took office as director-general of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in January, understands that the challenges the institute is facing in advancing the shift to green growth amid climate change may have doubled or tripled. Kim, the first Korean and the fifth chief of GGGI, hit the ground running, visiting cities and countries over the past half-year to forge coalitions for sharing and implementing the green growth policies and initiatives. His nickname of "Conan" — etched on his namecard and name plate — is inspired by the protagonist in the Japanese animated series "Future Boy Conan," set in a post-apocalyptic world. There have been some meaningful results since he took office. Kenya, Algeria and Luxembourg joined GGGI in the first half of 2025, bringing the total member nations to 52. The fact that new member nations are signing up attests to

Jul 31, 2025By Kim Ji-soo
'GGGI will become strong player in carbon market and AI'

Seoul suffers record 22 tropical nights for July

Seoul has experienced 22 tropical nights so far this month, setting a record high for July since modern weather observations began 117 years ago, the state weather service said Thursday. The nighttime temperature in the capital fell only to 29.3 degrees Celsius between Wednesday and Thursday, increasing the number of tropical nights in July to 22 days, the most since record-keeping began in 1908, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The previous record was 21 days, set in July 1994. A tropical night refers to a phenomenon when nighttime temperatures stay above 25 degrees Celsius from 6:01 p.m. to 9 a.m. the following day. With one more night left this month, the record could extend to 23 days, the KMA said, noting Seoul was already hit by tropical nights during 70 percent of this month. The KMA said last night's minimum temperature of 29.3 degrees Celsius is set to become the highest daily low for July on record, if the temperature does not fall below the level Thursday night. The previous record was 29.2 degrees Celsius, seen on July 23, 2018. The agency said the m

Jul 31, 2025By Yonhap
Seoul suffers record 22 tropical nights for July

Korea unlikely to be affected by powerful quake off Russian Far East: weather agency

Korea is unlikely to be affected by a powerful earthquake that struck off Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, a weather agency official said. The 8.7 magnitude earthquake, which hit the area at 8:24 a.m., has prompted tsunami warnings in Japan and other regions, according to media reports. "The Kamchatka Peninsula earthquake is not expected to have an impact on the country," the official said, noting the agency plans to continue monitoring the quake considering its large magnitude. The Kamchatka Peninsula is considerably distant from the Korean Peninsula, with Japan located between the two peninsulas. The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center forecast tsunami waves less than 0.3 meter in height to hit South Korea, according to Reuters.

Jul 30, 2025By Yonhap
Korea unlikely to be affected by powerful quake off Russian Far East: weather agency

Weather service says heat waves to become more severe

Heat waves gripping Korea over the past weeks are expected to intensify in coming days, the state weather service said Wednesday, with daytime highs set to range from 32 degrees Celcius to 38 degrees nationwide. Seogwipo of the southern Jeju Island experienced a 15th consecutive tropical night Tuesday, while Seoul's tropical night entered the 10th consecutive day, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said. The heat waves will become more severe through this weekend and the temperatures will not cool down at night, as the nation continues to be covered by a double layer of high pressure, the KMA said. On top of the dual influences of the North Pacific high and the Tibetan high, hot and humid southeasterly winds have also been blowing into the peninsula over the past week. The southeasterly winds are expected to blow even stronger due to a typhoon currently moving northwest in the sea southeast of Shanghai, China, the KMA said. Temperatures will soar to 38 degrees in the central city of Daejeon on Wednesday and 36 degrees in both Seoul and the southeastern city of Daegu, the agenc

Jul 30, 2025By Yonhap
Weather service says heat waves to become more severe

Heat wave alert in effect nationwide except Mount Halla on Jeju

A heat wave advisory was issued for the eastern mountainous city of Taebaek on Tuesday, putting all areas nationwide, except for the nation's tallest mountain on the southern island of Jeju, under heat wave alerts. A heat wave advisory is issued when the maximum apparent temperature is expected to remain above 33 degrees Celcius for two or more days, while a heat wave warning is issued when the maximum sensible temperature is likely to stay above 35 degrees, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). With the latest advisory for Taebaek, 181 of the 183 weather alert areas nationwide are either under a heat wave advisory or warning. Only two areas — located in Mount Halla on the southern resort island of Jeju — have not been issued with heat wave alerts. Taebaek is usually relatively cooler than other areas in the nation as it is located in a highland basin at an altitude of 650 meters and surrounded by mountains around 1,000 to 1,600 meters tall. The average maximum temperature in Taebaek for July and August between 1991 and 2020 stood at 25.9 degrees and 26 derees r

Jul 29, 2025By Yonhap
Heat wave alert in effect nationwide except Mount Halla on Jeju
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