Wildfires In South Korea Are Responsible For Dozens Of Deaths, Thousands Of Displaced, And Destruction Of Cultural Heritage

GHRD Research Team

by Ylvers, retrieved via Pixabay, 2 September 2014

Huge fires spread across South Korea, putting hundreds of people’s lives and houses at risk.

At the end of March 2025, South Korea was hit by the largest wildfire in its history.  The fires killed 27 people and displaced tens of thousands. On top of the human losses sustained, as most of those killed were in their 60s and 70s, significant heritage sites suffered too as the fires threatened temples and destroyed valuable historical and religious artefacts.

The fires started between March 22nd and 24th in two small villages in the centre of the country. Authorities, who are still investigating, believe that human activities were the reason multiple fires started. Strong winds and dry land allowed them to spread quickly. 

By March 25th, the first victims were reported, namely three bodies were found near a car they were driving to escape the fires.By March 26th, the Gounsa temple, one of the most important heritage sites in South Korea, built in 681 and housing important historical artefacts, was burned to the ground. 

Similarly, in the Hahoe Folk Village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, authorities were busy finding solutions to mitigate the damage caused by fires, either by preventing the flames from reaching the temple or by using retardant to contain the damage. Nonetheless, experts agree that certain areas of the Village are irremediably lost. 

It took the firefighters days to control the fires, and eventually, thousands of hectares were burned. Estimates report that within hours, the fires spread over an area of 70 kilometres and the devastation that followed affected an area as big as two-thirds of the island of Singapore. Experts report that the speed and severity of the fires were unprecedented and were facilitated by strong, dry winds. In the hardest-hit regions, the wildfires displaced more than 30,000 people. 

At the end of the fires, South Korean authorities launched an investigation to understand the origin of the fires. Although such an investigation is still in its early phases, authorities believe that a man in his 50s may have been the starter of the fires. According to the police, he may have accidentally started the first fire while performing an ancestral rite next to a family grave in south-eastern Uiseong county on March 22nd. He was booked on March 30th but he has been denying all allegations. 

South Korean scholars have also been investigating the fires, and they believe that even if the man identified by the authorities could be responsible for the first fire, the damage following his actions would have been limited. The fact that the fires spread quickly and dangerously is a striking example of the consequences of climate change. As 2024 was the hottest year on record for South Korea, they warn that the country should prepare for such harmful events in the future, unless interventions are made by both South Korea and the international community.

Sources and Further Readings:

BBC World News. (2025, March 27). Huge South Korea wildfires kill 27 and threaten to destroy ancient temples. 

Kiyada, S. & Huang, H. & Arranz, A. (2025, April 9). How South Korea’s largest and deadliest wildfire spread. Reuters.

McCurry, J. (2025, March 27). South Korea wildfires become biggest on record as disaster chief points to ‘harsh reality’ of climate crisis. The Guardian.