Latest news with #JoongAngDaily
Al Jazeera
21-07-2025
- Climate
- Al Jazeera
Death toll from S Korea rains rises to 18 as met agency warns of heatwaves
Torrential rains that lashed South Korea have killed at least 18 people and left nine others missing, authorities said, as the government lifted advisories for heavy rain and the meteorological agency warned of a return of heatwaves to southern parts of the country. The toll on Monday came as South Korea's military also announced dispatching thousands of troops to rain-ravaged areas to assist in recovery efforts. The downpours began on July 16 and brought some of the heaviest hourly rainfall on record to some of South Korea's central and southern provinces. The five-day deluge collapsed homes, triggered landslides and unleashed flash floods that swept away cars and campers. At least 10 people were killed in the southern county of Sancheong, and four others remain missing there, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Another person was killed when their house collapsed in the town of Gapyeong, northeast of the capital, Seoul, while a man who had been camping near a stream there was found dead after being swept away by rapid currents. The man's wife and teenage son remain missing, the South Korean JoongAng Daily reported. Two others, including a man in his 70s who had been buried in a landslide, were listed as missing in the same town. The rains also forced some 14,166 people to evacuate their homes in 15 cities and provinces, and caused 'extensive property damage', the Yonhap news agency reported. The agency said 1,999 cases of damage had been recorded at public facilities, and 2,238 cases were recorded at private homes and buildings. South Korea's military said it has dispatched some 2,500 personnel to the southwestern city of Gwangju as well as the South Chungcheong and South Gyeongsang provinces to assist in the recovery efforts. The troops will be overhauling homes and stores affected by the rains, it said. Hannah June Kim, an associate professor in the Graduate School of International Studies at Sogang University in Seoul, told Al Jazeera that 'a lot of people were taken off guard' because monsoonal rains came later than expected this year. 'The expectation was that monsoons would not be appearing during this summer,' she said. 'So, when this heavy rain started to fall this past week, a lot of local areas were unprepared.' 'We are seeing the heavy effects of climate change and how it's affecting different areas,' she added. South Korea's Meteorological Administration (KMA) forecast more rainfall in the southern regions on Monday but said that a heatwave would follow. According to the JoongAng Daily, heatwave advisories and warnings have already been issued for parts of South Jeolla, the east coast of Gangwon and Jeju Island. 'From July 24 onward, morning lows will remain between 23 and 26 degrees Celsius [73.4F to 78.8F], and daytime highs will range from 30 to 35 degrees Celsius [86F to 95F], higher than the seasonal averages of 22 to 25 degrees Celsius [71.6F to 77F] in the morning and 29 to 33 degrees Celsius [84.2F to 91.4F] during the day,' it reported, citing the KMA. Scientists say climate change has made extreme weather events more frequent and intense around the world. In 2022, South Korea endured record-breaking rains and flooding, which killed at least 11 people. They included three people who died trapped in a Seoul basement apartment of the kind that became internationally known because of the Oscar-winning Korean film Parasite. The government said at the time that the rainfall was the heaviest since records began, blaming climate change for the extreme weather.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Farmers devastated as unprecedented event wipes out nearly all of key crop: 'I've never seen the blossoms freeze and die off like this'
Devastation struck farmers across South Korea after an unexpected spring frost wiped out newly blossomed crops. An unprecedented spring frost fell upon South Korea, with temperatures falling to 22.6 degrees Fahrenheit. This led to new pear blossoms becoming frostbitten and dying. The pistils of the flowers turned black, indicating the death of the blossoms. Lee Mi-suk, an orchardist who has spent over three decades growing pears, has never seen anything like this. "In over 30 years of growing pears, I've never seen the blossoms freeze and die off like this," Lee told JoongAng Daily. "What good is inspecting the pollen when there are no ovaries?" Other crops in the region, including peaches and apples, also suffered due to the erratic weather. Hundreds of cases of cold-damaged crops were reported in nearby North Chungcheong. "In the past, we believed that warmer weather and earlier flowering would boost crop productivity. But what we're seeing is the opposite — more frequent spring frost damage and worsening productivity," Jeong Su-jong, professor at Seoul National University, told JoongAng Daily. The unseasonal cold was made worse by erratic weather patterns, including an unexpected warm spell in mid-March, which led to early blooming. This unusual weather event, which resulted in the loss of so many crops, is yet another example of mass global warming disrupting typical seasonal patterns. This disruption in our ecosystem affects not only the lives of crops but also the habitats and food supplies of every animal, including humans. Critical climate issues worldwide continue to rise, and environmentalists everywhere are looking for solutions to stop this widespread issue. Do you worry about how much food you throw away? Definitely Sometimes Not really Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Efforts to address erratic weather events are increasingly focused on prevention and adaptation. Climate experts are pushing for a reduction in the creation of planet-warming gases, a reduction of waste to create smaller landfills, and better climate insurance to protect farmers from financial loss. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
South China Morning Post
24-04-2025
- South China Morning Post
Chinese pair caught photographing South Korea military base twice in days
Two Chinese nationals, previously detained and released for photographing a military base in South Korea , were caught repeating the offence just two days later – marking the second consecutive month such an incident has occurred. Advertisement Police said the two were reported by US military personnel on Wednesday morning for photographing fighter jets near the US air force's Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, some 65km (40 miles) southwest of Seoul. They had been caught two days earlier taking unauthorised photos near the same airbase, according to JoongAng Daily, the English-language edition of the JoongAng Ilbo national newspaper. Authorities had released the suspects on Monday evening, eight hours after their detention, after investigations concluded that there were no security risks. 'There were no signs of espionage in the photos,' a police official said at the time, according to JoongAng Daily. 'They only captured fighter jets flying near the outer perimeter of the base, which doesn't constitute a chargeable offence under the military base protection law.' Advertisement The same thing happened on Wednesday. After police determined that their photographs again posed no national security concerns, the two were released.
South China Morning Post
16-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Massive North Korean phishing attack used K-pop and horoscope lures: South Korean police
North Korean hackers posed as K-pop promoters, horoscope services and tax officials as part of a sweeping phishing campaign that flooded South Koreans with more than 120,000 malware-laced emails and links to spoofed websites, police in Seoul have revealed. Advertisement The National Police Agency said on Tuesday that 126,266 such phishing emails had been sent to 17,744 individuals between November 2024 and January this year. 'In the past, these actors targeted individuals interested in North Korean affairs,' said Kim Young-woon, head of the agency's cyberterrorism unit. 'This time, they deployed 30 different promotional formats in a broad campaign.' The phishing emails mimicked legitimate content ranging from daily horoscopes and health newsletters to tax refund notices and concert invitations featuring Lim Young-woong, one of South Korea's most popular pop ballad singers, according to JoongAng Daily. Victims who clicked on links in the emails were taken to phishing websites designed to resemble trusted platforms such as Naver or Google, and were prompted to enter login details. 02:35 From survival to stardom: North Korean defectors set for historic K-pop music debut From survival to stardom: North Korean defectors set for historic K-pop music debut One email, titled 'Defence Counterintelligence Command's Martial Law Documents Revealed', urged recipients to download an attachment purported to contain official documents reviewing whether ousted president Yoon Suk-yeol had the right to refuse a National Assembly request to lift martial law.
South China Morning Post
10-04-2025
- South China Morning Post
Seoul palace installs spy-cam detection in public toilet to combat illegal ‘molka' filming
South Korean authorities have installed a restroom equipped with a spy-cam detection system at a tourist hotspot, in a bid to address the rampant issue of illegal filming, which has become a growing concern in the country. Advertisement The toilet is located in Changgyeonggung Palace in central Seoul, which attracts more than a million visitors annually. It features ceiling-mounted thermal sensors that can detect hidden cameras in real time, as well as monitors designed to identify attempts to film over partition walls, creating what officials called a highly secure monitoring set-up, JoongAng Daily reported on Tuesday. We plan to create a safer environment for visitors by gradually expanding the installation Kim Eung-rye, Changgyeonggung Palace Office head To deter illegal recording, warning stickers have been placed inside and outside the restroom. 'We plan to create a safer environment for visitors by gradually expanding the installation of these permanent illegal filming detection systems to other public restrooms within the palace,' Kim Eung-rye, head of the Changgyeonggung Palace Office, told JoongAng Daily. The installation highlights South Korea's ongoing struggle with illegal filming, a pervasive issue fuelled by the widespread availability of small, easily concealed cameras known as molka. The Changgyeonggung Palace in Seoul, South Korea, has taken steps to stop illegal filming in public restrooms. Shutterstock Images Images captured by these hidden cameras – often placed in public restrooms, changing rooms, and hotels – primarily target women and are frequently uploaded to websites where men pay to access them.
