The forest fire watchman scours the outskirts of Naesu-eup district in Cheongju, watching for telltale signs of illegal agricultural burning. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
CHEONGJU, South Korea, March 26 (Korea Bizwire) — As wildfires continue to spread across South Korea this spring, local government officials and forest fire patrol officers are working around the clock, battling not only flames but growing exhaustion.
In Naesu-eup, a rural district of Cheongju, 73-year-old forest fire watcher Lee Sang-bok begins his day as early as 4 a.m., patrolling to crack down on illegal agricultural burning. Though his official shift starts at 10 a.m., recent surges in wildfire activity have forced him into extended and overnight patrols.
“Some farmers know our patrol schedule down to the minute,” Lee said in an interview on March 26, 2025. “They often light fires in the early morning hours or late at night when they think we aren’t watching.”
Residents watch wildfires spreading to a nearby hillside in Andong, about 190 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on March 25, 2025. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Despite daily patrols covering 120 kilometers and promoting government programs to support the shredding of agricultural waste, illegal burning persists. “For elderly farmers, filing shredding requests feels like a hassle — burning is easier,” Lee added. On weekends, all six members of his team fan out to patrol forest areas popular with hikers, leaving them completely drained by day’s end.
With South Korea’s wildfire disaster alert raised to its highest level this year, local governments are reinforcing their responses. In North Chungcheong Province, where Lee works, the provincial government has expanded patrols and monitoring. More than 25% of forestry department staff now track 95 surveillance cameras in real time, and on-site inspections have increased to at least four times a week, with special operations on weekends.
A force of 825 forest fire watchers has been deployed to high-risk areas, but the workload is taking its toll. “We are operating on minimal sleep, constantly monitoring wildfire conditions,” said a provincial forestry official. “It’s exhausting, but with emergency situations nationwide, long hours are unavoidable.”
Between 2020 and 2024, North Chungcheong Province recorded 92 wildfires, burning nearly 237 hectares. More than half of those fires occurred between March and April.
An alarming 71.7% of these blazes were caused by human negligence, with the leading sources being hikers (39 incidents), trash burning (11), discarded cigarette embers (7), graveyard visitors (5), and the burning of field borders (4).
Under current law, burning near forested areas carries fines of up to 500,000 won, while negligence resulting in a wildfire can lead to up to three years in prison or fines of up to 30 million won.
As 2025’s wildfire season intensifies, exhausted patrol officers like Lee continue to shoulder the burden, caught between enforcing the law and fighting an uphill battle against deep-rooted practices.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
