A person holding a parasol passes by Seoul Plaza in central Seoul on July 30, 2022, as scorching heat grips the nation. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 19 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s first government report on how the country is adjusting to climate change was released on Tuesday by the Ministry of Environment.
The report stated that the speed of global warming in the country is quicker than the world average.
According to the report, the temperature in South Korea has risen by 1.6 degrees Celsius from 1912 to 2020, which is higher than the world average of 1.09 degrees.
Additionally, surface water temperatures have risen by 1.23 degrees from 1968 to 2017, which is more than 2.5 times the world average of 0.48 degrees.
Furthermore, sea levels rose by 2.97 millimeters from 1989 to 2018, 1.2mm higher than the world average of 1.7 mm.
The report also highlighted the increasing frequency of heavy showers, heat waves, abnormal temperatures in winter, and severe cold snaps.
The report further mentioned that the economic losses due to natural disasters related to climate change from 2012 to 2021 amounted to 3.7 trillion won (US$2.79 billion), with damages to be recovered.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
