Record Heatwaves 'Cook' Crops Underground in South Korea Amid Extreme Climate Crisis

An unprecedented and persistent heatwave across South Korea is devastating the nation's agricultural sector, leaving staple crops like potatoes rotting and "cooked" underground before harvest.

In the northeastern Gangwon province, farmers report total crop losses across potato and cabbage fields as soil temperatures soar to historical highs, compounded by a record-breaking national peak temperature of 42.5°C.

The extreme weather crisis has claimed at least 31 human lives, killed over 2.3 million livestock and farmed fish, and crippled fruit orchards nationwide. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung declared the extreme heat a national emergency, calling for structural overhauls in disaster management. Climate experts warn that rapid warming across Asia is threatening regional food security, with agricultural losses expected to surge ahead of the upcoming Chuseok harvest festival.