Summary
Firefighters are racing to save people and ancient artefacts from the largest wildfires in South Korea's history, which have killed at least 27 people so far
Tens of thousands have also been displaced in the blazes, which started in the south-east on 21 March
Most of those killed were in their 60s and 70s, local officials say
Eyewitnesses described apocalyptic scenes as fires engulfed their homes, with one man telling the BBC thedamage in his city has been "devastating"
Authorities believehuman activities started multiple fires, but strong winds and dry land allowed them to spread quickly
The winds also make it dangerous for helicopters to operate -one crashed while fighting the fires on Tuesday
The fires havegutted a 1,300-year-old temple in Uiseong city and are threatening other cultural sites
Watch: Historic Buddhist temples burn in South Korea wildfires
Live Reporting
Edited by Sean Seddon, with reporting from Jake Kwon, David Oh, Hyunjung Kim, and Suhnwook Lee in Seoul
Firefighting continues as South Korea begins to reflect on its losspublished at 11:21 Greenwich Mean Time 27 March
Image source,ReutersAt least 27 people have died in what have grown into the largest wildfires in South Korea's history. Most of those who have lost their lives were in their 60s and 70s - in other words, those who struggled to escape the fast-moving infernos.
The figure includes three care home residents who died when their car was engulfed by the flames as they tried to escape, local media reported.
Tens of thousands have been displaced and efforts are continuing to protect ancient historical sites which lie in the path of the five fires which are continuing to rage.
BBC Weather forecasters have analysed the data to see if any relief is on the horizon. There is some good news: temperatures will fall and some rain will arrive - but it is feared it will not be enough to stop the fires in their tracks.
We're pausing our live coverage for the time being but you can read more analysis on thecause and fallout of the unprecedented natural disaster elsewhere on the BBC News website.
Fires come at a time of political uncertainty for South Koreapublished at 11:02 Greenwich Mean Time 27 March
Image source,EPAImage caption, President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by parliament in December
The South Korean government is grappling with the fires at a time of great uncertainty over the country's leadership.
Earlier this week, the attempted impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo wasthrown out by the Supreme Court, meaning he resumed his role as the country's acting leader a matter of days ago.
Meanwhile, the wait continues to hear from the court over whether it will uphold the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived declaration of martial law last year, which cast the country into an unprecedented political crisis.
Yoon has also been charged with insurrection, which is punishable by life in prison or death.
This chaotic period has also seen the government having to grapple with the fatal Jeju Air passenger plane crash thatkilled 179 people.
Some relief as rain begins to fall in Uiseong Countypublished at 10:10 Greenwich Mean Time 27 March
Rain has begun to fall in parts of Uiseong County in North Gyeongsang Province, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.
The area has beenamong the hardest hit by the fires. The 1,300-year-old Gounsa temple, which is located in Uiseong city, was destroyed by the blaze.
However, as we reported earlier, forecasters fear the amount of rain expected will not be enough to stop the fires spreading.
We'll have a closer look at the impact the weather could have on fuelling or containing the fires shortly.
Fires continue to rage after nearly a weekpublished at 09:49 Greenwich Mean Time 27 March
If you're just joining our ongoing live coverage of the deadly South Korea wildfires, here are the main details you need to know:
- At least27 people have been killed so far, according to the country's interior ministry, making these fires the deadliest in the country's history
- A further 32 people have been injured andthousands have been displaced
- Most of those killed werein their 60s and 70s, local officials say
- Since the first blaze started on 21 March, the wildfires have reached 35,810 hectares (88,500 acres) and are now the"largest on record"
- Dry conditions and high winds aremaking the blazes difficult to contain
- Efforts are under way to try andprotect ancient heritage sites and artefacts but some have already been lost
The vulnerability of South Korea's templespublished at 09:15 Greenwich Mean Time 27 March
Hosu Lee and Koh Ewe
Reporting from Seoul and Singapore
Image source,Getty ImagesAs flames rage on in South Korea's south-east, the scorched remains of the 1,300-year-old Gounsa temple in Uiseong have become perhaps the most prominent symbol of the destruction.
As we reported earlier, workers arescrambling to move artefacts out of the flames' reach, as other temples come under threat as well.
Back in 2022, South Korea's fire department urged "extreme caution" in preventing fires breaking out at temples, noting that the wooden structures of traditional temples in the country make them highly vulnerable to flames.
If the initial firefighting efforts fail, a small blaze can quickly escalate into a major fire, authorities warned.
Additionally, many traditional temples are located in mountainous or high-altitude areas, which makes it difficult for fire engines to access them quickly—posing limitations for swift firefighting responses.
In some cases, trees that retain more water, and are therefore more fire resistant, have been planted around historic temples in an attempt to deter burning.
The role of climate changepublished at 08:25 Greenwich Mean Time 27 March
Ben Rich
Lead Weather PresenterThe weather rarely causes wildfires on its own, but it can give conditions that help wildfires to take hold and spread.
That is exactly what has happened in South Korea. Temperatures several degrees above the seasonal norm have combined with dry ground, strong winds and low humidity to fuel fires that authorities say were ignited by human activity.
Scientists have been carrying out so-called rapid attribution studies to assess what part climate change has played in creating these conditions.
Analysis byClimate Central, external suggests that the high temperatures recorded in parts of South Korea over the last week have been made up to five times more likely by global warming.
Image source,Getty ImagesImage caption, Human-induced climate change is widely recognised as making wildfires more likely and severe
Meanwhile, researchers atClimaMeter, external say the fires are associated with "exceptional meteorological conditions" that have mostly been strengthened by human-induced climate change.
This ties in with thefindings of the IPCC, external – the UN’s climate change body – which says the weather conditions needed for wildfires to spread are becoming more likely around the globe.
How do these compare to recent wildfires around the world?published at 07:32 Greenwich Mean Time 27 March
Image source,Getty ImagesImage caption, South Korea's wildfires have already exceeded the scale of the recent Southern California and Western Japan wildfires combined
The wildfires in South Korea, which started on 21 March and have killed at least 26 people, have since spread to cover more than 36,000 hectares - larger than recent wildfires that have similarly made headlines and sent panic rippling through local communities.
In January, the Southern California wildfires that tore through 23,000 hectares of land in and around Los Angeles killed 29 people.
Wildfires in the northern Japanese city of Ofunatoearlier this month torched more than 2,600 hectares and killed one person. Thousands were evacuated during those fires, which were the country's worst in half a century.
New fires have also broken out this week in western Japan, destroying 15 buildings and burning through a cumulative 900 hectares.
Experts say that climate change has amplified wildfires, especially in temperate areas, making them more frequent and larger.
South Korea's disaster chief Lee Han-gyeong said on Thursday that the country was"witnessing the reality of climate crisis like never before".
A recap of South Korea's wildfirespublished at 06:05 Greenwich Mean Time 27 March
Image source,EPAIf you're just joining us, here's the latest:
- At the time of writing, 26 people have died in the wildfires engulfing the country's south-east. Tens of thousands, most of them elderly, have been displaced from their homes
- Since the first blaze started on 21 March, the wildfires have reached 35,810 hectares (88,500 acres) and are now the"largest on record", authorities said on Thursday
- Residents affected by the wildfire told the BBC abouthow they managed to evacuate their homes, andthe anguish they felt seeing their neighbourhoods engulfed in flames
- Authorities believe the wildfiresstarted by accident from human activities – but the main factors fuelling the devastation are strong winds and dry land
- Workers arescrambling to move historic artefacts out of the flames' reach. A 1,300-year-old temple in Uiseong has already been destroyed by the fire, and more historical sites are under threat
