South Korea - The Korea Times

Seoul braces for scorching 36-degree heat wave this week

Korea is bracing for a relentless heat wave this week, with meteorologists warning that the worst is yet to come for Seoul and the western regions. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) upgraded heat wave advisories to warnings for the capital and much of the west on Monday, with temperatures in Seoul expected to reach 36 degrees Celsius throughout the week. Heat wave warnings covered 122 of the nation’s 183 weather zones. Another 55 areas remained under advisories. A heat wave advisory is issued when temperatures are expected to reach 33 degrees Celsius or higher for more than two days. A heat wave warning is issued when highs of 35 degrees or above are forecast to persist for over two days, with the potential to cause serious health risks and disruptions across affected regions. As the mercury soared across the Korean Peninsula, the capital found itself particularly vulnerable to the early onslaught of summer's fury. For Seoul, this marks the first heat wave warning of the season, a striking 18 days earlier than last year's record-setting heat. Forecasts show that daytime high

Jul 7, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Seoul braces for scorching 36-degree heat wave this week

Season's first heat wave warning issued for Seoul

The state weather agency on Monday issued the season's first heat wave warning for all parts of Seoul. The warning was issued as of 10 a.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. It was issued 18 days earlier than July 25 of last year, when the country experienced the worst heat wave ever. A heat wave warning is issued when the highest sensible temperature is expected to reach 35 degrees Celcisus or higher for two or more consecutive days or when major damage is anticipated from the heat.

Jul 7, 2025By Yonhap

Season's first heat wave warning issued for Seoul

Heat wave to get more severe, weather agency says

The heat wave gripping the country will become even more severe, beginning this week, pushing up the daily maximum temperature to 37 degress Celsius in some regions, the state weather agency said Monday. Seoul and almost all parts of the nation have been put under a heat wave advisory or warning over the past week, due to the influx of hot and humid air from the southwest. Amid the weeklong tropical nights nationwide, in which nighttime temperatures stay above 25 degrees, Gangneung, an east coast city, experienced the so-called "super tropical" night Sunday with the temperature dropping to only 30.8 degrees overnight, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). It will be recorded as the lowest daily temperature for July in Gangneung, whose previous record was 30.4 degrees observed only four days earlier, the KMA noted. The agency said the daily high will reach 37 degrees in the southeastern city of Daegu on Monday, while daytime temperatures will be 32 degrees in Seoul and Busan, 34 degrees in Daejeon, and 35 degrees in Gwangju.

Jul 7, 2025By Yonhap

Heat wave to get more severe, weather agency says

Korea steps up emergency measures to combat lovebug infestation

Korea is ramping up its response to a severe outbreak of lovebugs, or Plecia nearctica, that has blanketed the Incheon region and caused widespread inconvenience for residents. The Ministry of Environment announced Friday that it has dispatched 37 emergency personnel to Mount Gyeyang in Incheon, where the infestation is the most severe, to conduct urgent pest control operations. The ministry’s emergency teams, working alongside Gyeyang District officials, have used air blowers, insect nets and water-spraying equipment to remove adult bugs from affected areas. Large-scale cleanup operations also took place to collect and dispose of dead insects, which have created foul odors. Authorities have also installed light-based insect traps because of the bugs’ attraction to light. The ministry is also expanding its collaboration with local governments, including Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, for the activation of a 24-hour task force added to the existing joint response system with Seoul and the National Institute of Biological Resources. Although lovebugs are harmless to humans — they do

Jul 5, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Korea steps up emergency measures to combat lovebug infestation

Korea sees hottest average temperature for June on record

Korea recorded the hottest average temperature for June on record as the nation was hit by heat waves and tropical nights, according to the weather agency Friday. The country recorded an average temperature of 22.9 degrees Celcius last month, 0.2 degrees Celcius higher than last year, marking the hottest June ever since 1973, when South Korea began actively collecting weather data, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The KMA said temperatures were higher on average last month due to high-pressure systems that formed to the southeast of the country, leading to warm and humid southwestern winds. On June 18, the eastern coastal city of Gangneung saw the country's first tropical night of the year, followed by 12 other areas across the country the next night. A tropical night refers to a phenomenon when nighttime temperatures stay above 25 degrees Celcius from 6:01 p.m. to 9 a.m. the next day. The country also saw 187.4 millimeters of rain last month, compared with the 30-year average of 148.2 mm of rain in June.

Jul 4, 2025By Yonhap

Korea sees hottest average temperature for June on record

Unprecedented marine heat waves fuel fishery disaster in Korea

Korea’s coastal fisheries are on high alert as an early and intense heat wave has rapidly raised sea temperatures, triggering mass fish deaths and prompting government intervention. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the National Institute of Fisheries Science issued high sea temperature advisories for 23 regions including Jeju, the West Sea and the southern coast, effective 6 p.m. Thursday. The sea temperature warning level was elevated from level 1 “attention” to level 2 “caution” in a five-tier system, after average water temperatures in key areas soared by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius in just five days. For example, Jeju’s Jungmun saw the daily average sea temperature jump from 22.1 degrees on June 28 to 25.6 degrees on Thursday. Similar spikes were recorded in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, and Yeosu, South Jeolla Province. The ministry has warned that this year’s high-temperature trend is developing faster and more intensely than last year, with advisories issued more than a week earlier than in 2024. Sea surface temperatures in Korea’s coastal waters are projec

Jul 4, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Unprecedented marine heat waves fuel fishery disaster in Korea

Monsoon shifts north, leaving Korea sweltering under intense summer heat

An early retreat of the monsoon front has left Korea with one of its shortest rainy seasons in recent memory, exposing much of the country to sustained heat and oppressive nighttime temperatures. The Korea Meteorological Administration said Thursday that this year’s monsoon ended on June 26 in Jeju, a week earlier than usual and half its normal length at just two weeks — making it the island’s second-shortest rainy season on record. The southern part of the mainland saw a similarly brief spell, with the monsoon ending on July 1 after only 12 days. While rainfall is expected to remain limited, meteorologists say the rainy season may not yet be over for Seoul and parts of the upper mainland. While the exact dates remain subject to change, the broader pattern is clear: An anomalously strong North Pacific subtropical high-pressure system has displaced the monsoon front to the north, leaving southern Korea largely dry, with intensifying heat conditions. Korea’s rainy season, known locally as “jangma,” typically stretches from late June through late July or early August, deliverin

Jul 3, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Monsoon shifts north, leaving Korea sweltering under intense summer heat

Monsoon season ends in Jeju, southern region

The annual monsoon season has ended on Jeju Island and in the southern region, the state weather agency said Thursday, as the North Pacific high-pressure front has pushed the stationary front northwest. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said Jeju and the southern region were freed from the influence of the stationary front on June 26 and Tuesday, respectively, ending their rainy season. The stationary front is created by the collision of hot and humid air moving north from the south and cold air moving south from the north. The agency noted the monsoon season ended the fastest on Jeju since nationwide weather observations began in 1973. The previous record was July 1, 1994. In the southern region, the earliest recorded end to the monsoon season was June 30, 1973, making this year the second-earliest end. The KMA said it is still too early to declare the end of the rainy season in Seoul and the central region due to the possibility of a temporary influence from a stationary front passing through North Korea. Indeed, rain may fall in the central region Friday night and between

Jul 3, 2025By Yonhap

Monsoon season ends in Jeju, southern region

SNU-affiliated pet health center charging up to W2.7 million sparks controversy

A newly opened animal health screening center branded with the name of Seoul National University (SNU) is facing backlash from the veterinary community over its funding structure and pricing, which critics say violate the spirit of existing veterinary laws. The SNU Animal Healthcare Center opened on June 16 in Gwangjin District, Seoul. It promotes itself as a nonprofit institution for public and academic purposes, aiming to collect diagnostic data. However, its establishment was backed by an investment from a for-profit company, raising concerns that it undermines regulations meant to keep animal hospitals out of commercial hands. The center was established by a nonprofit medical corporation led by SNU veterinary professor Sung Je-kyung. Funding came from SNU Holdings, the university’s tech holding company, while medical equipment and facilities were provided by SNU Pet, a for-profit hospital management firm also funded by SNU Holdings. SNU Pet holds priority rights to the animal health data collected at the center. Legal loophole or violation of intent? The first point of contention is

Jul 3, 2025By Hankookilbo

SNU-affiliated pet health center charging up to W2.7 million sparks controversy

Temperatures to soar to 36 degrees Celsius in southern regions

Daytime highs are set to surge to 36 degrees Celsius in southeastern and east coastal regions on Wednesday, with a heat wave advisory in effect for most parts of the country, the state weather agency said. The highest daily temperatures will reach 36 degrees Celsius in Daegu, Ulsan and Gangneung, among other cities, due to the continued influx of hot and humid air from the southwest, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Some areas of Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul, Gangwon Province's east coast and mountains and eastern Jeju Island will also see their sensible temperatures rise to around 35 degrees Celsius during the day, the KMA said. Seoul and many other regions nationwide experienced tropical nights for the third consecutive night on Wednesday, as temperatures are forecast to remain above the 30-year average for the time being.

Jul 2, 2025By Yonhap

Environment & Animals