Over the past five days, wildfires have wreaked havoc across South Korea’s southern regions, with at least 18 lives lost and another 19 individuals injured, according to government officials. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is currently acting as president, described the fires as causing “unprecedented damage,” urging response teams to prepare for the worst possible scenario.

Residents in Andong city, alongside other affected towns in the southeastern area, were forced to evacuate as blaze-hit regions struggled against the dry winds that fanned the flames, impacting over 17,400 hectares of land and destroying numerous structures, including a Buddhist temple that has stood for 1,300 years. As climate change is expected to exacerbate the frequency of wildfires, there is a growing need for greater resources and manpower to combat such disasters.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/26/south-korea-fires-andong-city-death-toll