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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.

Record-breaking average daily temperatures reported for June

Daily average temperatures reached new records for June in Busan, Daegu and many other southern cities earlier this week, amid a sweltering heat wave sweeping across the country, the state weather agency said Tuesday. In Busan, the daily average temperature was 26.2 degrees Celsius on Monday, the hottest day in June in the southeastern port city since modern weather observations began there in 1904, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The record was already broken on Sunday, when the city's daily average temperature was 25.9 degrees Celsius, the agency said, noting the previous record was 25.8 degrees Celsius set on June 15, 2024. Likewise, new June records were set in the southwestern city of Mokpo, which saw an average of 27.3 degrees Celsius on Sunday and 28.1 degrees Celsius on Monday, the KMA said. The southeastern city of Daegu also broke its record for the first time in 20 years on Monday, with the average daily temperature reaching 30.7 degrees Celsius. The previous record for the month was 30.1 degrees Celsius set on June 25, 2005. The KMA said 59 of 97 c

Jul 1, 2025By Yonhap
Record-breaking average daily temperatures reported for June

Lovebugs back — this time a bigger problem

Kim Jae-woong, an avid outdoorsman, headed to Incheon’s Mount Gyeyang over the weekend — and found himself in the middle of a surreal infestation. Swarms of lovebugs took over the mountain, their dead and living bodies so thick they blanketed many of the trails. “The ground felt soft with lovebugs,” he wrote in a comment on his video online. “Even the stray cats that usually roam the area had all disappeared. The entire mountain felt overrun.” His footage, showing the lovebug invasion on Mount Gyeyang, quickly went viral, becoming one of the most talked-about posts in Korea over the weekend and racking up more than 35,000 likes. Lovebugs, or Plecia nearctica — named for the way mated pairs fly while attached — have increasingly appeared across the country in recent years, a trend scientists attribute to the Korean Peninsula’s shift toward a subtropical climate due to climate change. Commonly found in warm regions like southeastern China and Japan’s Okinawa, lovebugs began appearing in large numbers in Korea around 2022, especially in the Seoul metropolitan area. They

Jul 1, 2025By Park Ung
Lovebugs back — this time a bigger problem

Firefighters put out fire at building inside Joseon-era garden in Seoul

A fire at a wooden building inside a garden designated as cultural heritage in northern Seoul was put out after four hours Monday, firefighters said. The blaze erupted at the Korean-style building located in the garden in Seoul's Seongbuk-dong at 12:45 p.m., with firefighters quickly mobilizing personnel and equipment to the scene upon reports that a fire occurred for unknown reasons. The fire was fully under control at around 5:00 p.m., according to the officials. No casualties have been reported yet, officials said. The building that caught fire was known to have been newly erected in the 1950s, and firefighters were currently dismantling the roof as smoke was coming from the upper roof tiles. The pillars of the building were severely damaged by the fire, according to firefighters and the Korea Heritage Service. The garden, formerly known as Seongnagwon, is a representative garden from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), which was designated as one of the country's scenic sites in 2020.

Jun 30, 2025By Yonhap
Firefighters put out fire at building inside Joseon-era garden in Seoul

YouTube is full of 'cat-calming music' — but does it really help? A vet explains

Hello, I’m Dr. Lee Woo-jang, head of Hi Animal Behavior Clinic, where we provide science-based behavioral care for companion animals. Today’s question is simple, but surprisingly fascinating: Is there scientific evidence behind music that calms cats? The short answer? Yes — there absolutely is. Since the person who submitted this question asked for evidence, let’s explore some published studies. You may be surprised to learn that music specifically designed for cats — based on their unique hearing range and physiological responses — can indeed reduce feline stress. Cat parents, take note! Cats hear a much wider range of sound than humans do. Cats can hear from approximately 48Hz to 85,000Hz — about four times wider than the human hearing range. They’re especially sensitive to high frequencies. Additionally, music with consistent tempo, soft melodies and repetitive patterns can influence a cat’s autonomic nervous system and induce a calming effect. One landmark study supports this. In 2015, American psychologist and behavioral biologist Charles Snowdon teamed up with co

Jun 28, 2025By Hankookilbo
YouTube is full of 'cat-calming music' — but does it really help? A vet explains

Korea approves decommissioning of 1st commercial nuclear reactor

Korea has approved the decommissioning of the country's first commercial nuclear reactor, the now-defunct Kori 1 reactor, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) said Thursday, also marking its first-ever decommissioning of a reactor. Unit 1 of the Kori nuclear power plant, located in the southeastern city of Busan, was permanently shut down in June 2017 after operating for about 40 years since April 1978. In May last year, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) began chemical decontamination to remove radioactive materials from the reactor, marking a crucial first step in the decommissioning process. The KHNP said the successful dismantling of the Kori 1 reactor will be significant for the nuclear and related industries as it will open up new business opportunities in the global reactor decommissioning market. "The full dismantling of the Kori 1 reactor is expected to take 12 years due to challenges related to the construction of spent nuclear fuel storage facilities," an NSSC official said. According to the review by the commission, KHNP operates three dedicated decommissioning un

Jun 26, 2025By Yonhap
Korea approves decommissioning of 1st commercial nuclear reactor

Urban Korea’s new headache: giant crows attacking people

The Environment Ministry on Wednesday issued public safety guidelines as reports increase of large-billed crows attacking people during their breeding season, which typically peaks between May and July when fledglings leave the nest. Measuring up to 57 centimeters in body length, the large-billed crow is the biggest among the crow species found in Korea. Recognized by its glossy black feathers and distinctively curved upper beak, the bird has increasingly been seen nesting in urban green spaces near residential areas, sometimes rummaging through trash or attacking people who get too close to their nests. Crow attacks are concentrated during the breeding season from March to July, especially between May and July when the young begin to fledge. These incidents are typically a result of defensive behavior by parent birds trying to protect their eggs or fledglings. People approaching nests or fledglings often trigger such reactions. To stay safe, the ministry advises avoiding areas where nests or young crows have been spotted. If passing through such areas is unavoidable, people should move

Jun 25, 2025By Hankookilbo
Urban Korea’s new headache: giant crows attacking people

Heavy monsoon rain hits most regions; central regions to receive over 150 mm

Heavy downpours are forecast to hit most of South Korea on Friday, including the central and southern regions and Jeju Island, marking the beginning of the year's monsoon season, the weather agency said. The rain will spread to North Gyeongsang and South Gyeongsang provinces during the day, while the southern regions and Jeju may see the downpours ease throughout the day, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The greater Seoul area and northern parts of Gangwon Province will receive heavy downpours of 30 to 50 millimeters per hour in the afternoon, whereas the rain will start falling at night for other parts of the province, as well as North Jeolla and South Chungcheong provinces. The weather agency forecasted over 150 millimeters of rain to fall until Saturday in the greater Seoul area, parts of Gangwon Province, North Jeolla Province, South Chungcheong Province and Daejeon. Other regions, including southern Gyeonggi Province, North Chungcheong Province, South Jeolla Province and Gwangju, are anticipating more than 120 millimeters of rain during the same period. Th

Jun 20, 2025By Yonhap
Heavy monsoon rain hits most regions; central regions to receive over 150 mm

Monsoon season starts in central, southern regions

The annual monsoon season began in the central and southern regions Thursday, the state weather agency said, forecasting torrential downpours in some areas in central and southwestern regions starting late at night. Rain will fall sporadically along the west coast due to the influence of hot and humid air flowing in along the edge of the North Pacific High and the intensity of the rain will increase at night due to a stationary front, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The stationary front will be created by the collision of hot and humid air moving north from the south and cold air moving south from the north, the agency said. The rainy season in the central and southern regions has begun six and four days, respectively, earlier than the 30-year average, the KMA noted. It forecast particularly heavy rainfall for the northern regions of Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul, between Thursday night and Friday afternoon. It also predicted precipitation of 30 to 50 millimeters per hour in central regions and the southwestern province of North Jeolla from Friday n

Jun 19, 2025By Yonhap
Monsoon season starts in central, southern regions

KHNP to apply for standard design approval of new small nuclear reactor

Korea's state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) said Thursday it plans to apply for standard design approval of its innovative small modular reactor (SMR) model later this year to expand the country's foothold in the next-generation global nuclear power market. KHNP plans to draw up the first draft of the application in a meeting with experts to be held through Friday to review the safety of its SMR model and submit the application to regulatory authorities in December, according to company officials. SMRs, advanced nuclear reactors with a power capacity of up to 300 megawatts per unit, have been under the spotlight in recent years amid growing global demand for electricity sparked by the artificial intelligence (AI) boom and the transition to non-fossil fuel energy to tackle climate change. KHNP, which leads Korea's innovative SMR development project, aims to win standard design approval of its SMR model by 2028 and commercialize it by 2035.

Jun 19, 2025By Yonhap
KHNP to apply for standard design approval of new small nuclear reactor

Gov't checks safety measures ahead of heavy monsoon rains in central region

Monsoon rains are forecast to drench Korea's central region this week, prompting authorities to inspect preventative measures against heavy rain damage, officials said Wednesday. More than 200 millimeters of rain is expected to soak the region from Thursday to Saturday, the Korea Meteorological Administration said, raising alarm over possible damage from landslides and flash floods. In response, the interior ministry convened an interagency meeting earlier in the day to inspect and discuss safety and preventative measures against such types of damage during the monsoon season. Vice Minister for Disaster and Safety Management Yi Han-kyung, who presided over the meeting, asked the public to refrain from leaving their homes and entering areas susceptible to damage during heavy rain. "As we enter monsoon season, the government will thoroughly conduct flood damage preventative measures that have been prepared so that the same type of damage does not happen again," he said. (Yonhap)

Jun 18, 2025By Yonhap
Gov't checks safety measures ahead of heavy monsoon rains in central region
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