climate change Archives | Be Korea-savvy
Climate Change Decimates Honeybee Colonies in Jeju, Prompting Emergency Measures

Climate Change Decimates Honeybee Colonies in Jeju, Prompting Emergency Measures

JEJU, South Korea, Aug. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — Honeybee populations on Jeju Island are collapsing at alarming rates, with local officials and beekeepers warning that climate change has left colonies increasingly vulnerable to disease and pests. According to data released Tuesday by Jeju Province and the Korea Beekeeping Association, a 2022 survey of 157 apiaries [...]

Drought Leaves Gangneung Residents Facing Water Rationing, Anxiety and Daily Hardships

Drought Leaves Gangneung Residents Facing Water Rationing, Anxiety and Daily Hardships

GANGNEUNG, South Korea, Aug. 25 (Korea Bizwire) — In the coastal city of Gangneung, residents are grappling with extreme drought that has left their main water source, the Obong Reservoir, at a record low of 17.8 percent of capacity, compared with a seasonal average of 69 percent. Officials fear the level could soon fall to 15 percent, [...]

Farmers File Landmark Lawsuit Against Power Companies Over Climate Change Damage

Farmers File Landmark Lawsuit Against Power Companies Over Climate Change Damage

SEOUL, Aug. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — Six South Korean farmers have filed a civil lawsuit against Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and its five power subsidiaries, demanding compensation for climate-related damages. The lawsuit, announced Tuesday during a press conference in Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul, marks the first legal challenge holding KEPCO and its affiliates accountable for [...]

Climate Change Threatens South Korea’s Iconic Alpine Cabbage Fields

Climate Change Threatens South Korea’s Iconic Alpine Cabbage Fields

Highland growers in Gangwon face mounting losses as warming temperatures and extreme weather push summer cabbage to the brink GANGNEUNG, August 5 (Korea Bizwire) — Once known for its cool summer breezes and starlit skies, the alpine cabbage fields of Anbandegi in Gangwon Province—South Korea’s largest high-altitude farming zone—are now at the frontline of climate [...]

Climate Report Warns of 66-Fold Surge in Compound Heat Days by 2100

Climate Report Warns of 66-Fold Surge in Compound Heat Days by 2100

New climate projections highlight urgent need for emissions reduction under President Lee’s administration as global temperatures rise under Trump-era climate diplomacy gap SEOUL, August 4 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea could face a dramatic surge in extreme heat events unless global carbon emissions are curbed, with so-called “compound extreme heat days” projected to increase up [...]

Gyeongbuk to Build Rapid Freezing Facilities to Preserve East Coast Bluefin Tuna

Gyeongbuk to Build Rapid Freezing Facilities to Preserve East Coast Bluefin Tuna

ANDONG, South Korea, July 24 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s North Gyeongsang Province announced plans Wednesday to build rapid freezing facilities in Yeongdeok and Pohang to preserve the freshness of bluefin tuna, which has recently been caught in growing quantities off the country’s east coast. The rise in sea temperatures and an abundance of bait [...]

Heavy Rains Kill 1.78 Million Farm Animals and Damage Crops Across South Korea

Heavy Rains Kill 1.78 Million Farm Animals and Damage Crops Across South Korea

SEOUL, July 23 (Korea Bizwire) — More than 1.78 million farm animals have perished in South Korea following relentless downpours that began on July 16, according to preliminary data released Tuesday by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The toll includes approximately 1.48 million chickens, 151,000 ducks, 150,000 quail, and smaller numbers of [...]

Korea Braces for a Hotter-Than-Normal Summer, Weather Agency Warns

Korea Braces for a Hotter-Than-Normal Summer, Weather Agency Warns

SEOUL, May 24 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea is likely to face another unusually hot summer this year, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), which on Thursday released its climate outlook for June through August. The agency forecast higher-than-average temperatures across the country, driven by global oceanic heat and high-pressure systems that could lock [...]

Climate Change Reshapes Retail Calendar, Boosting Summer Appliances While Crimping Spring Fashion

Climate Change Reshapes Retail Calendar, Boosting Summer Appliances While Crimping Spring Fashion

SEOUL, April 17, (Korea Bizwire) — As climate change shortens South Korea’s transitional seasons and extends the summer, retail sectors are seeing shifting consumer behaviors and divergent business fortunes. While spring fashion sales slump amid erratic weather and weak consumer sentiment, electronics retailers are benefiting from an early surge in demand for summer appliances. According [...]

Warming in the Southern Ocean Linked to Wetter Summers in East Asia, Study Finds

Warming in the Southern Ocean Linked to Wetter Summers in East Asia, Study Finds

SEOUL, April 8 (Korea Bizwire) —  Rising ocean temperatures in the distant Southern Ocean could be fueling wetter summers across East Asia, including the Korean Peninsula, according to a new international climate study published in Nature Geoscience. Led by Dr. Sara Kang of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Germany and Dr. Hanjoon Kim of [...]