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Gangneung wildfire threatens safety of cultural assets

In this photo provided by the Cultural Heritage Administration, firefighters spray the Gyeongpodae Pavilion in Gangneung, 168 kilometers east of Seoul, with water as a wildfire spreads rapidly, spurred by strong winds in the city, April 11. NewsisThe cultural heritage management authority was on high alert Tuesday as a wildfire spreads rapidly in strong winds in the eastern coastal city of Gangneung, threatening the safety of cultural assets in the region.The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said it was moving seven signboards from Gyeongpodae Pavilion, a state-designated cultural treasure from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) in the city, to a nearby museum to keep them safe from the fire.The fire started in Nangok-dong in Gangneung, 168 kilometers east of Seoul, in the morning and raged in nearby regions as well, spurred by strong winds, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people.Gyeongpodae Pavilion, which is located on a lofty spot overlooking a scenic coastal lake, was cited as one of the eight scenic sites of the northeastern coast during the Joseon Dynasty. It is a histo

Apr 11, 2023
Gangneung wildfire threatens safety of cultural assets

Korea's annual temperature rises by 0.2 C every 10 years: weather agency

National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo speaks during a debate on climate change at the National Assembly, April 11. YonhapKorea's annual average temperature has risen by 0.2 C every 10 years over the past century, which is three times faster than the global average, the chief of the state weather agency said Tuesday.The country experienced a steep temperature rise of 0.2 C per decade on average, compared with the global average of 0.07 C from 1912 to 2020, according to Yoo Hee-dong, the chief of the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).Yoo cited a KMA report based on meteorological changes observed in the country over 109 years during a debate held at the National Assembly. Yoo disclosed the data with Chat GPT, a chatbot developed by U.S.-based Open AI."The talks on climate change are an extremely dangerous situation, which is like the end of the world," Yoo said, proposing sharing the compiled weather data with open API.Global warming and urbanization have progressed faster in Korea, bringing more extensive meteorological changes than the rest of the world over the past century,

Apr 11, 2023
Korea's annual temperature rises by 0.2 C every 10 years: weather agency

Zurich, Oslo and Canberra top smart cities index

A view of Zurich, Switzerland. gettyimagesbankBy Ko Dong-hwanThe Swiss city of Zurich took first place in this year's new smart city index jointly published by an independent academic institution in Switzerland and a Seoul-based global smart city facilitator. The Swiss city was followed by Oslo, Austria and Canberra, Australia. The index assessing 141 cities was co-produced by the Smart City Observatory, part of the IMD World Competitiveness Center, and World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO). It was based on responses from 20,000 people from around the world who were surveyed about 15 aspects of living in their respective cities. The survey asked what the most urgent issues in their cities are, from affordable housing to road congestion, employment and green spaces.The survey also asked how comfortable respondents felt with technology such as face recognition or data sharing to improve traffic congestion. One of the survey's goals was to find whether tech-based solutions were addressing people's major everyday life concerns.IMD said the 2023 IMD Smart City Index “di

Apr 11, 2023By Ko Dong-hwan
Zurich, Oslo and Canberra top smart cities index

Unusually warm weather to give way to cold snap this weekend

People walk beneath blooming cherry blossom trees in Seoul's Yeouido neighborhood, April 2. YonhapThe unusually warm weather experienced this week will give way to a returning cold snap across the country during the weekend, weather officials said Thursday.Morning lows will fall below zero in some inland areas from Friday to Sunday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). On Saturday, the entire country will experience a morning wind chill below freezing, it said.Springtime wintry conditions usually occur in late March or early April in a phenomenon called "a cold snap envious of flowers." The low-pressure system that brought rains earlier this week will exit to the east, and a cold continental high-pressure system from the north will approach the peninsula causing temperatures to drop and bringing strong winds, the agency said.The KMA predicted morning lows of 2-10 degrees Celsius and daytime highs of 12-20 degrees Celsius for Friday. Morning lows on Saturday are expected to range from minus 2 degrees Celsius to 6 degrees Celsius, with daytime highs of 13-17 degr

Apr 6, 2023
Unusually warm weather to give way to cold snap this weekend

President orders special disaster zone designations for 10 wildfire-hit areas

A helicopter dumps water on a burning forest in Hampyeong, South Jeolla Province, Tuesday. YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyePresident Yoon Suk Yeol ordered government officials to designate 10 areas most affected by recent wildfires as special disaster zones, according to presidential spokesman Lee Do-woon, Wednesday. Special disaster zones are eligible for financial support from the government for disaster recovery work, while local residents are given tax benefits. The 10 areas are Hongseong, Geumsan, Dangjin, Boryeong and Buyeo in South Chungcheong Province; Daejeon's Seo District; Okcheon in North Chungcheong Province; Suncheon and Hampyeong in South Jeolla Province; and Yeongju in North Gyeongsang Province.During a Cabinet meeting held the previous day, President Yoon said, “Dozens of wildfires have broken out across the country, destroying our precious forests and threatening the lives of local residents.”At the meeting, he ordered the relevant ministers to draw up supportive measures to minimize inconvenience to those evacuated due to wildfires.Largely due to recent dry weather

Apr 5, 2023By Jun Ji-hye
President orders special disaster zone designations for 10 wildfire-hit areas

Flights canceled on Jeju Island due to strong winds

An electronic signboard at Jeju International Airport on the southern Jeju Island shows flights canceled or delayed, April 5. YonhapScores of flights were grounded on the southern island of Jeju on Wednesday due to dangerous wind conditions.The weather authorities issued alerts for high winds and wind shear, which refers to sudden changes in wind direction and speed.As of 9 a.m., Jeju International Airport had reported the cancellation of 31 domestic flights to and from the airport. Of the 259 domestic and 14 international flights scheduled for the day, airlines canceled 167 in advance.In the morning, wind gusts reached a peak of 11.8 meters per second in areas surrounding the airport. The wind is forecast to intensify to 12.8 to 23 mps in the afternoon. "The wind was blowing as strong as 25.7 mps, equivalent to a quasi-typhoon, over the airport, causing disruptions to aircraft operations," a weather official at the airport said. (Yonhap)

Apr 5, 2023
Flights canceled on Jeju Island due to strong winds

Firefighters combating wildfires in central regions for 3rd day

A chopper sprays water over a hill in Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province, April 4. YonhapThousands of firefighters and forestry personnel were combating wildfires Tuesday in South Chungcheong Province and the nearby city of Daejeon that have continued for the third day.The wildfires in the county of Hongseong, 114 kilometers south of Seoul, and the nearby cities of Dangjin and Daejeon broke out on Sunday when a dry weather warning was issued in the region, and remain unextinguished as of Tuesday morning. Some 1,800 firefighting personnel, along with 19 fire choppers, were deployed overnight through the morning to combat the wildfire in Hongseong, but the blaze spread further due to strong winds.The fire extinguishing rate for the Hongseong wildfire stood at 67 percent as of 5 a.m., and 1,452 hectares of land were presumed to have been affected by the blaze. Nearly 3,000 personnel and 188 fire engines and gear will be sent to the scene on Tuesday to bring the main body of the fire under control, forestry officials said. Fifteen fire helicopters were separately deployed to fight the

Apr 4, 2023
Firefighters combating wildfires in central regions for 3rd day

Seoul wildfire completely extinguished after 25 hours

Firefighters and Army soldiers try to put out the smoldering fires on Mount Inwang in central Seoul, April 3. YonhapA wildfire on a mountain in central Seoul was completely put out Monday afternoon after 25 hours, authorities said.The fire started on Mount Inwang, a popular trekking spot in the central ward of Jongno, shortly before noon Sunday and spread rapidly due to strong wind, temporarily forcing about 120 households to evacuate, according to the Seoul city government. No injuries or deaths have been reported.The main fire was put out at around 5 p.m. Sunday, but firefighters had difficulty extinguishing the smoldering fires despite all-night operations.The city government said all the smoldering fires were completely extinguished as of 1:27 p.m.It estimates the fire burned about 15 hectares of woodland, equivalent to 21 football fields.Police and fire authorities plan to investigate the cause of the fire, leaving all possibilities open, including arson and accidental fire. (Yonhap)

Apr 3, 2023
Seoul wildfire completely extinguished after 25 hours

Last-ditch efforts under way to contain wildfire in central Seoul

Firefighters and Army soldiers try to put out the smoldering fires on Mount Inwang in central Seoul, April 3. YonhapFirefighting authorities on Monday are making last-ditch efforts to contain a wildfire on a mountain in central Seoul, as smoldering fires have not been completely extinguished for over 20 hours.The fire started on Mount Inwang, a popular trekking spot in the central ward of Jongno, shortly before noon Sunday and spread rapidly due to strong wind, temporarily forcing about 120 households to evacuate, according to the Seoul city government. No injuries or deaths have been reported.The main fire was put out at around 5 p.m. Sunday, but firefighters were still having difficulty extinguishing the smoldering fires despite all-night operations, the government said, adding the fire extinguishing rate reached 98 percent as of 6:50 a.m. Monday.The government estimates the fire has burned about 15 hectares of woodland, equivalent to 21 football fields.Police and fire authorities plan to investigate the cause of the fire, leaving all possibilities open, including arson and acciden

Apr 3, 2023
Last-ditch efforts under way to contain wildfire in central Seoul

Yoon orders all-out efforts against spring wildfires

A National Fire Agency helicopter dumps water to contain a fire at Mount Inwang in central Seoul on April 2. YonhapPresident Yoon Suk Yeol instructed relevant authorities Sunday to make all-out efforts to put out and prevent spring wildfires, his office said.Yoon issued the message following reports of wildfires on Mount Inwang, near the previous location of Korea's presidential office, and a mountain in Hongseong, 114 kilometers south of Seoul.As of 2:30 p.m., some 580 officials and nine helicopters had been mobilized to put out the blaze on Mount Inwang that broke out shortly before noon. There have been no reports of deaths or injuries caused by it.Authorities have banned entry to the mountain, with residents in nearby areas being evacuated. Some 120 households already have been evacuated.Some 0.23 square kilometers of land, equivalent to the size of 32 football fields, have been destroyed by the wildfire.Yoon ordered the National Fire Agency and the National Forest Service to use all possible resources to extinguish the fires, and called on the interior and defense ministries to

Apr 2, 2023
Yoon orders all-out efforts against spring wildfires
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