Foreign Media: "Korean Wildfire, Worst Natural Disaster in History"... NASA Satellite Images Also Captured

Foreign media reported the large-scale wildfire in the Yeongnam region as the "worst natural disaster in history" and covered it as major news.

On the 27th, the British daily The Guardian described the Korean authorities' battle against a wildfire that doubled in size within a day, calling this wildfire extremely unusual in terms of scale and speed, and the worst natural disaster ever recorded.

Satellite image dated the 22nd, released by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Photo by Yonhap News.

The Guardian quoted Lee Han-kyung, Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, saying, "We are once again experiencing the reality of the climate crisis we have never encountered before through this wildfire," expressing concern that wildfires will become more frequent and deadly worldwide due to climate change.

It reported that houses, factories, vehicles, and historic buildings were destroyed by the wildfire, noting that "a 1,300-year-old temple was lost," referring to the completely burned Gounsa Temple in Uiseong.

AP News visited Cheongsong County in Gyeongbuk and reported that firefighters are struggling to suppress the worst wildfire in Korean history.

British broadcaster BBC established a live segment to cover the Korean wildfire situation. The outlet stated, "An unprecedented fire has struck Korea."

NASA released satellite images from the 22nd showing the wildfire situation in Korea. NASA's Earth Observatory posted photos taken by the AQUA satellite, stating, "Smoke is rising from the fire areas in Uiseong County near Andong City, Gyeongbuk, and Sancheong County, Gyeongnam."