At Least 24 Dead as Wildfires Rips Through South Korea’s Heartland
South Korea is battling unprecedented wildfires that have killed at least 24 people and forced over 23,000 to evacuate, with authorities describing the crisis as "rewriting the record books" for the worst fires in the nation's history. Most victims are in their 60s and 70s, with 26 people injured, including 12 in critical condition. The fires began in Sancheong county on Friday and rapidly spread to multiple southeastern counties, fueled by strong, dry winds. Acting President Han Duck-soo characterized the situation as critical, with fires advancing through Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang, and Yeongdeok counties. Forest disaster expert Lee Byung-doo described the Uiseong blaze as spreading at an "unimaginable" scale and speed. Approximately 17,000 hectares of forest have been destroyed, making these the third-largest fires in South Korea's history by area. The fires gutted the 1,300-year-old Gounsa temple in Uiseong, including a […]