Lightning strikes becoming more frequent nationwide

Firefighters rescue a man on Seorak Beach in Yangyang County, Gangwon on Saturday after a lightning strike. One person died and five others were injured in the accident. [YONHAP]

Following the death of a 36-year-old man struck by lightning last weekend in Yangyang County, Gangwon, the national weather agency warned that lightning strikes are becoming more frequent due to climate change.

“The likelihood of thunder, lightning and lightning strikes is directly proportional to the intensity of convective phenomena, which have become more active over the years,” Kim Seong-muk, head of the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA)'s Forecast Policy Division, recently told the JoongAng Ilbo.

“With climate change, the conditions are aligning where cold air is being introduced into the lower atmosphere during the hot summer, increasing the possibility of lightning strikes.”

According to police, a 36-year-old man was sitting on Seorak Beach in Jeonjin-ri, Ganghyeon-myeon, Yangyang County at around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday with his friends when lightning struck and he passed out.

Four other friends were sitting on the beach with him, while another friend was walking on the sand with an umbrella.

Police said they had finished surfing.

It is still unknown exactly how the lightning struck.

Witnesses told police that a lightning bolt appeared to have hit a rock on the beach, causing all five people sitting near it to pass out. The person who held an umbrella dropped to the ground.

Passersby called the 119 emergency number and ran to the scene to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

All six people were transported to three different hospitals in Sokcho and Gangneung, Gangwon.

Police said the 36-year-old at one point was in a state of cardiac arrest but regained a pulse approximately 10 minutes later while in the hospital. However, he never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead at 4:15 a.m. on Sunday.

His five other friends are in stable condition, police said.

The incident marked the highest number of casualties in a lightning accident since 2009 when the data started being compiled. From 2013 to 2022, seven people in Korea died from a lightning strike, while 18 others were injured, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

Over the past 10 years, an average of 108,719 lightning strikes occurred in Korea each year. The lowest year saw about 30,000 strikes, while the highest saw 220,000.

Around 90 percent of lightning strikes last year took place during the summer rainy season from June to August. Gyeonggi had the most lightning strikes in 2022 with 8,603 incidents. In terms of lightning strikes per unit area of square kilometers, Incheon recorded the highest rate at 1.01 strikes.

The KMA warned that lightning can strike high objects or wet surfaces, potentially causing electric shocks. This is why when thunderstorms and lightning are in the forecast, people are advised to avoid outdoor activities such as hiking or water sports.

People who are already outdoors when lightning strikes should seek shelter in buildings or cars, said the KMA, adding that large trees are dangerous.

The weather agency also recommended discarding any long items such as umbrellas, hiking poles or fishing rods.

BY JEONG EUN-HYE, LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]