After eight days, South Korea has brought devastating forest fires under control, with 28 deaths, 37 injuries, and 48,000 hectares burned. The fires, which began on March 21 in South Gyeongsang and spread to North Gyeongsang, affected over 20 regions and forced 38,000 evacuations.
The Korean Forestry Service announced that fires in North Gyeongsang are fully extinguished, while 93% of those in South Gyeongsang are under control. Cooler temperatures and rain aided efforts, with full extinguishment expected within days. Interim President Han Duck-soo called it the worst forest fire disaster in the country’s history.
