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Prolonged dry weather in Gyeongsang heightens concerns over drought, wildfires

Published: 02 Feb. 2026, 19:52

Yokji dam in Yokji Island, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang [MINISTRY OF CLIMATE, ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT]

A prolonged spell of dry weather centered on Gyeongsang has persisted for more than a month, heightening concerns over winter drought conditions and wildfire risks. The government has decided to issue a drought “attention” alert, particularly for Yokji Island in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang, which may face drinking water shortages.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the winter drought has intensified in Gyeongsang, with little rain or snow falling so far this season.

Cumulative precipitation from the beginning of the year through Sunday stood at 2.6 millimeters (0.1 inches) in Daegu and North Gyeongsang, and just 0.4 millimeters in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang — only 13.5 percent and 1.2 percent of seasonal averages, respectively. As a result, dry weather advisories have remained in effect for more than 30 days across much of the two provinces.

Heavy snowfall that blanketed other parts of the country earlier in the day did little to ease drought conditions in Gyeongsang, as snowfall there was weak or nonexistent. While some dry weather advisories were lifted in inland areas, Busan and the eastern coastal regions remain under a higher-level dry weather warning. Such warnings are issued when effective humidity is expected to stay below 25 percent for at least two consecutive days, compared to 35 percent for advisories.

“Some dry weather advisories have been lifted in inland areas of Gyeongsang, but conditions are unlikely to improve significantly, as dry westerly winds are expected to persist through this week,” said Woo Jin-gyu, a forecaster at the KMA.

The prolonged drought has also triggered concerns over drinking water supplies on islands, where resources are limited. The water level at Yokji dam, the main water source for Yokji Island, had fallen to 40.5 percent as of Monday, enough to supply water for only about 54 days.

A wildfire warning flag flutters in the wind amid cold and dry weather conditions in Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang, on Jan. 29. [NEWS1]

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety held an interagency drought response meeting on Monday afternoon and decided to issue an “attention” level drought alert for household water use in Tongyeong. As part of the response, the government plans to supply 5,000 bottles of bottled water, each with a capacity of 1.8 liters (0.5 gallons).

“Because droughts have an outsize impact on daily life in island communities, we will take pre-emptive measures to ensure stable water supplies in areas such as Yokji Island,” said Kim Gwang-yong, the head of disaster and safety management at the ministry.

Concerns over large-scale wildfires are also mounting. An analysis of wildfire statistics by the National Institute of Forest Science showed that 62 wildfires occurred in January alone, a 37 percent increase from the 10-year average of 45.3. Last Thursday, 10 wildfires broke out in a single day, the second-highest daily total for January in the past decade.

In response, the Korea Forest Service raised the national wildfire alert level to “warning” for Gyeongsang and Gangwon on Jan. 24. It marked the first time the warning level had been issued in January since the system was introduced in 2004.

The period from February through May is when wildfires are most likely to occur, as rising temperatures further dry out the air and strong winds increase the likelihood that small fires could rapidly spread into major blazes.

“Carelessness such as illegal burning, smoking or cooking near forested areas can easily lead to large wildfires,” said Oh Jeong-hak, the head of the forest disaster prediction and analysis division at the National Institute of Forest Science, urging public cooperation in prevention efforts.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHON KWON-PIL [[email protected]]