(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on Sept. 25)

Extreme weather patterns are increasingly becoming the new normal across the nation. After an unprecedented heat wave that extended into the Chuseok holiday, heavy rainfall battered seven cities and regions on Sept. 20 and 21, starting with the southern parts of Korea, prompting some estimated 1,500 residents to evacuate their homes under threat of avalanches, erosion and blackouts. Record-breaking amounts of precipitation have fallen. The southeastern city of Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province saw 529 millimeters of rain in just two days, while in Jindo, South Jeolla Province, rainfall reached a record 112.2 millimeters per hour. The downpour severely impacted Gangwon and Chungcheong provinces, leaving farmers to watch their carefully cultivated crops be destroyed. There was also one death in South Jeolla Province amid numerous casualties and a collapse of parts of the Daeseong-dong Tombs in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, that were among the UNESCO World Heritage Site-listed Gaya Tumuli.

The rain fo
llowed an extended period of extreme heat and so-called “tropical nights,” where nighttime temperatures stayed above 25 degrees Celsius. Earlier this month, the Korea Meteorological Administration reported that Korea experienced 23.2 days with daytime highs exceeding 33 degrees, the third-highest on record. Additionally, the country saw 20.2 tropical nights this summer, the highest number recorded to date.

Korean summers are typically hot and humid, but not to this extreme. Some experts suggest that this summer may be just the beginning of more intense conditions ahead.

Korea, once admired for its distinct four seasons, may no longer enjoy that variety. Signs of extreme weather are becoming more frequent globally. The country experienced one of its longest droughts in 50 years in 2023, followed by unusually heavy rainfall during the monsoon season.

This year, the nation has been overwhelmed by scorching heat, dealing a significant impact on daily life. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention
Agency, 32 out of 3,505 heat-related patients died from May 20 to Sept. 10. Heat affects both mental and physical health. A recent private sector report found that a 1-degree increase in average temperature during this period is associated with a 13 percent rise in reported experiences of depression. Similar trends have been observed internationally. A 2018 study by a Stanford University team, led by professor Marshall Burke, found that a 1-degree rise in monthly temperature correlated with a 0.68 percent increase in monthly suicides in the U.S. between 1968-2004, and a 2.1 percent rise in Mexico between 1990 and 2010.

Both the pattern of extreme weather and studies on its impact suggest that we must seriously consider this new normal. It indicates a shift that could affect various aspects of our lives in unprecedented ways. The government should enhance its capability to deliver timely and accurate weather forecasts. Moreover, the nation must develop a robust plan for preventing and responding to climate-ch
ange-induced disasters. In addition, hotter weather will place increased demand on the nation’s power grid. Electricity and utility fees are politically sensitive, as the government has kept them artificially low for the public. Korea Electric Power Corp. has reached its operational limits despite implementing six price hikes since 2022. It may be time to consider raising prices while simultaneously expanding the use of renewable energy sources.

To address extreme flooding and drought, the Ministry of Environment has proposed building new dams for the first time in 14 years. In pursuing this goal, the government should engage thoroughly with residents in affected areas about the dam projects. Fortunately, there is growing public awareness of the severity of climate change and the consequences of inaction. A recent ruling by the Constitutional Court has further heightened this awareness, requiring the government to set specific carbon emission reduction targets beyond 2031 to protect the basic rights of futur
e generations. As a nation, we must prepare our social infrastructure and disaster prevention and relief strategies with climate change in mind.

Source: Yonhap News Agency