PERSONAL: South Korean evacuees 'feeling unwell and shocked' as wildfire continues to spread

Record ID: 1986063

  • Title: PERSONAL: South Korean evacuees 'feeling unwell and shocked' as wildfire continues to spread
  • Date: 26th March 2025
  • Summary: UISEONG, SOUTH KOREA (MARCH 26, 2025) (REUTERS) TENTS FOR EVACUEES AT SHELTER VARIOUS OF EVACUEES AT SHELTER EVACUEES LYING DOWN ON FLOOR TENTS AT SHELTER 50-YEAR-OLD FARMER, KIM JUNG-YEOL, WHO EVACUATED AFTER FIRES APPROACHED HIS PROPERTY, INSIDE TENT VARIOUS OF KIM LOOKING AT HIS PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 50-YEAR-OLD FARMER AND EVACUEE, KIM JUNG-YEOL, SAYING: "It has be
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: South Korea Uiseong diaster evacuee fire food truck shelter volunteer wildfire
  • Location: UISEONG, SOUTH KOREA
  • City: UISEONG, SOUTH KOREA
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Disaster/Accidents,Wildfires/Forest Fires
  • Reuters ID: LVA001172326032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: South Korean farmer Kim Jung-yeol's family has camped out at temporary shelter for five consecutive days with a hope of returning to their house in Uiseong, as the country battles some of its worst forest fires in decades.
    The death toll from the wildfires raging across South Korea's southeastern region rose to 24 and the pilot of a firefighting helicopter was killed when the aircraft crashed on Wednesday (March 26).
    The deadly wildfires have spread rapidly and forced more than 27,000 people from their homes, the government said.
    Kim, 50, who runs an apple and plum farm, evacuated his home on Saturday (March 22) after a mountain close to their house caught fire.
    His 87-year father, who was sleeping when the decision to move to a shelter was made, is also now staying there.
    Kim provided Reuters with a CCTV screenshot which showed a date and timestamp that showed him trying to fight the flames at his property on Saturday (March 22).
    The CCTV footage was verified during Reuters' interview with Kim.
    He was still seen monitoring his house with live CCTV footage on Wednesday, while hoping for rain across the region.
    The Uiseong fire, only 68% contained and exacerbated by gusty winds, showed "unimaginable" scale and speed, according to a forest disaster expert at the National Institute of Forest Science.
    The government has designated the affected areas as special disaster zones, and said the fires had damaged more than 15,000 hectares (37,065 acres).
    (Production: Daewoung Kim, Minwoo Park)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register