South Korea is grappling with devastating wildfires that have killed at least 18 people and injured 19, as reported by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
Acting President Han Duck-soo described the situation as “unprecedented,” stating that the current fires are “rewriting the record books for the worst wildfires in our nation’s history.”
Authorities have evacuated over 23,000 individuals and reported damage to several significant cultural heritage sites, including the destruction of a 1,300-year-old Buddhist temple.
A firefighting helicopter tragically crashed in the mountains of Uiseong County shortly after noon on Wednesday, with ongoing investigations into the incident.
Thousands of firefighters, along with roughly 5,000 military personnel, have been dispatched to manage several fires, supported by helicopters from the US military based in Korea.
The national fire agency escalated the crisis to the highest fire response level on Tuesday, marking the first such elevation this year.
Wildfires are unusual in South Korea, making the current situation, with 18 fatalities in recent days, the deadliest on record.
Approximately 17,000 hectares of forest have been consumed by the fires, ranking them as the third largest in South Korean history by area.
In Uiseong city, the fires completely destroyed the Gounsa Temple, a significant structure dating back to 618 AD and one of the largest temples in the region.
A historic Buddhist architectural piece from the Joseon Dynasty, considered a national treasure, has also been lost to the flames, according to forestry authorities.
Acting President Han announced that all possible resources and personnel have been deployed, although strong winds are challenging the containment efforts.
“We were desperately hoping for rain today or tomorrow to help extinguish the flames,” Han added.
“This level of wildfire damage is unlike anything we’ve experienced before.”
The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasts no rain for Wednesday and only a slight chance of rain, between five and ten millimeters, for Thursday.
Once the crisis is under control, Han emphasized that the government would conduct a thorough review of the wildfire response and enhance future prevention measures.
“Once a wildfire starts, extinguishing it requires tremendous resources and puts precious lives in danger,” he stated.
This year has seen a significant increase in wildfires, with conditions drier than usual and 244 reported incidents, more than double the number from the same period last year.
The government has vowed to enforce stricter regulations against illegal burning, a primary cause of wildfires, and to address individual negligence more rigorously.
The wildfires first erupted last Friday in Sancheong County and have since spread to neighboring areas including Uiseong, Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang, and Yeongdeok.
