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What every pet owner should know during heat waves

With intense summer temperatures gripping much of Korea, pet owners are being urged to take extra precautions as cases of heatstroke in dogs rise sharply. One such case occurred in Seoul, where Kim Yeon-woo, a 26-year-old office worker, had to rush her dog to an emergency animal clinic the day after a walk. The dog had been vomiting and suffering from diarrhea throughout the night. The diagnosis was heatstroke caused by prolonged sun exposure, and the dog was hospitalized to lower its body temperature and inflammation levels. Experts warn that dogs, who are closer to the ground and unable to regulate body temperature as effectively as humans, are particularly vulnerable during extreme heat. Asphalt and concrete surfaces can absorb and radiate heat intensely, with ground temperatures often exceeding 50 degrees even when air temperatures hover around 35 degrees. In fact, August 2024 data from the Korea Meteorological Administration showed a surface temperature of 45.5 degrees at street level, compared to just 34.3 degrees at 1.5 meters above ground. What causes heatstroke in dogs? Heatstro

Jul 22, 2025By Youn Ye-jin

What every pet owner should know during heat waves

Heavy rains damage nearly 30,000 hectares of farmland in Korea

The recent torrential rains have left nearly 30,000 hectares of farmland damaged, the agriculture ministry said Tuesday, noting an anticipated drop in the output of certain crops may push their prices up for the time being. A total of 29,448 hectares of farmland were estimated to have been flooded by the weeklong heavy rains as of Monday, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The affected area is equivalent to nearly 40,000 football fields, it added. South Chungcheong Province was hit the hardest, reporting 16,710 hectares of farmland that had been submerged, the largest for a single province. As for livestock, around 1.8 million animals, including chickens, ducks and pigs, have been killed due to the heavy rain. The agriculture ministry expected potential supply disruptions and price increases for certain agricultural products due to the rain and vowed to take steps to minimize any instability in the supply and demand of key produce items. Torrential rains, combined with the impact of recent heat waves, are already pushing prices of agricultural products up. As

Jul 22, 2025By Yonhap

Heavy rains damage nearly 30,000 hectares of farmland in Korea

Death toll rises to 19 after heavy rains, landslides

Another person has been confirmed dead after last week's heavy rains and landslides, bringing the total death toll to 19, the government said Tuesday. Nine others also remain missing, raising the total number of those dead or unaccounted for from the heavy rainfall between Wednesday and Sunday to 28, according to tentative data from the interior ministry. The casualties include 10 dead in the southern county of Sancheong, three in the northern county of Gapyeong and two in the western city of Seosan, according to the ministry. Four of the missing were reported in Sancheong, while another four were reported in Gapyeong. Authorities have sped up recovery efforts, with about 2,976 of the 6,752 buildings and facilities reported damaged having undergone emergency restoration work. More than 14,000 people have taken shelter since the heavy rains started, with 2,549 people yet to return to their homes.

Jul 22, 2025By Yonhap

Death toll rises to 19 after heavy rains, landslides

Bangudae Petroglyphs submerged by heavy rain shortly after UNESCO designation

The Bangudae Petroglyphs in Ulsan, a UNESCO World Heritage site and National Treasure No. 285, have been completely submerged due to heavy rainfall, sparking concerns about preservation efforts. The site was designated a World Heritage site only one week ago. According to local authorities in Ulsan on Sunday, the the petroglyphs of Bangudae Terrace located in Daegok-ri, Ulju County, were inundated after more than 300 millimeters of rain fell in a single day. The petroglyphs, measuring 3 meters high and 10 meters wide, are carved into a cliff wall 4.6 kilometers upstream from Sayeon Dam. Flooding begins when the dam’s water level exceeds 53 meters and becomes complete above 57 meters. On July 19, the water level surpassed 53 meters at 5 a.m., triggering submersion. By 1 p.m. it exceeded 57 meters, leaving the site fully underwater. As of 4 p.m., the dam level stood at 58.95 meters, and the rock face remained submerged for a second consecutive day. Discovered in 1970, the petroglyphs have long been at risk due to repeated flooding. The broader designation known as “Bangudae Petroglyphs

Jul 21, 2025By Hankookilbo

Bangudae Petroglyphs submerged by heavy rain shortly after UNESCO designation

18 killed, 9 missing after heavy rains, landslides

Eighteen people have been killed and nine others remain unaccounted for following heavy rains and landslides that began ravaging the country last week, the government said Monday. The casualties as of 9 p.m. Sunday include 10 dead in the southern county of Sancheong, two in the northern county of Gapyeong and two in the western city of Seosan, according to the interior ministry. Four of the missing were reported in Sancheong, while another four were reported in Gapyeong. More than 14,000 people have taken shelter across 15 major cities and provinces since the heavy rains started last Wednesday. Property damage has been extensive, with 1,999 cases reported at public facilities and 2,238 cases reported at private facilities as of 6 p.m. Sunday. The state weather agency has forecast more rainfall through Monday morning in South Jeolla Province, South Gyeongsang Province and the southern island of Jeju. North Jeolla Province and North Gyeongsang Province are expected to see rainfall starting at 9 a.m., while the capital area and the Gangwon and Chungcheong provinces are forecast to receive rai

Jul 21, 2025By Yonhap

18 killed, 9 missing after heavy rains, landslides

PHOTO Village devastated by landslides

A village in Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province, is damaged by landslides triggered by torrential rain, leaving the area unrecognizable, Sunday. The region was hit with some 100 millimeters of rain per hour Saturday, resulting in eight deaths. Yonhap

Jul 20, 2025By Jung Da-hyun

[PHOTO] Village devastated by landslides

Torrential rains leave 17 dead, 11 missing

Torrential rains pounded Korea for five consecutive days, leaving 17 people dead and 11 missing and damaging nearly 2,000 public facilities nationwide, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the National Fire Agency on Sunday. In response, President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials to swiftly assess the flood damage and expedite the designation of special disaster zones, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said later in the day. Among the 17 confirmed fatalities, 10 deaths occurred in Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province, where a rare countywide evacuation order was issued on Saturday. Two more deaths were reported in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday, where search and rescue operations remain underway. One fatality was reported in Gwangju, while the remaining deaths included one in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, two in Seosan and one in Dangjin — both in South Chungcheong Province. One person remained unaccounted for in Gwangju, while four were missing in Sancheong, five in Gapyeong and one in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. The number of casualties may rise as search a

Jul 20, 2025By Jung Da-hyun

Torrential rains leave 17 dead, 11 missing

Lee orders swift declaration of special disaster zones over rain damage

President Lee Jae Myung instructed the government Sunday to find ways to swiftly designate areas hit hard by recent heavy rains as special disaster zones, his spokesperson said. Lee also called for a swift survey of the scale of damage from the rain and landslides that began across the nation last Wednesday, Kang Yu-jung said in a message to the press. Special disaster zones are entitled to government support for damage recovery and victims relief. As of 11 a.m., 14 people were killed and 12 others were missing due to the heavy rains, according to the government and the National Fire Agency. The government launched an interagency recovery support team earlier in the day. "The interior ministry, other relevant ministries and the affected local governments will fully mobilize all available resources and carry out swift emergency restoration work," Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung said during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in the central city of Sejong, saying the government will shift its focus from responding to the rains to recovering from the damag

Jul 20, 2025By Yonhap

Lee orders swift declaration of special disaster zones over rain damage

10 killed, 9 missing in heavy rains, landslides

Ten people have been killed and nine have gone missing in the heavy rains and landslides that began across Korea four days ago, the government said Sunday. The data from the interior ministry and the National Fire Agency, as of 5 a.m. Sunday, also showed that a large portion of the toll — six dead and seven missing — occurred in the southern county of Sancheong. The other deaths occurred in Osan, Gyeonggi Province; Seosan, South Chungcheong Province; and Dangjin, South Chungcheong. Two of the nine unaccounted for were reported missing in the southwestern city of Gwangju. Firefighting officials said rescue work was still under way in Sancheong, which could lead to a change in the toll. A total of 58 people have been rescued from the county alone. Torrential rains have slammed the nation since Wednesday, with Sancheong receiving an accumulated 793.5 millimeters of rain. The adjacent county of Hapcheon has received 699 mm, while the nearby county of Hadong has received 621.5 mm. Authorities have registered 1,920 cases of flooded roads, soil loss and destroyed public facilities, and 2,234

Jul 20, 2025By Yonhap

10 killed, 9 missing in heavy rains, landslides

Is Korea’s ‘once-in-a-century’ rain now happening every year? Experts say yes

What experts describe as a once-in-100-to-200-year rainfall event has left parts of Korea reeling, with record-breaking precipitation turning the unusual into the new normal. On July 17 alone, the city of Seosan in South Chungcheong Province was hit with 438.9 millimeters of rain, while Gwangju recorded 426.4 millimeters — far exceeding the region’s average rainfall for the entire month of July. In Seosan and the nearby city of Hongseong, around 100 millimeters fell within just one hour during the early morning, shattering the 30-millimeter-per-hour threshold typically used to define a heavy downpour. Experts say climate change is behind the intensifying and increasingly frequent rainstorms affecting the Korean Peninsula, with once-rare extreme weather events now occurring annually in many regions. The latest flooding was caused by a phenomenon known as a "training convective system," in which a narrow band of cumulonimbus clouds forms between two different air masses. This long, thin band hovered over parts of the country, dumping vast amounts of moisture. Southwesterly winds trave

Jul 19, 2025By Hankookilbo

Environment & Animals

Environment & Animals

What every pet owner should know during heat waves

Heavy rains damage nearly 30,000 hectares of farmland in Korea

Death toll rises to 19 after heavy rains, landslides

Bangudae Petroglyphs submerged by heavy rain shortly after UNESCO designation

18 killed, 9 missing after heavy rains, landslides

PHOTO Village devastated by landslides

Torrential rains leave 17 dead, 11 missing

Lee orders swift declaration of special disaster zones over rain damage

10 killed, 9 missing in heavy rains, landslides

Is Korea’s ‘once-in-a-century’ rain now happening every year? Experts say yes

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