The Long Rainy Season and Typhoons Caused by the Climate Crisis... Property and Human Damage Tripled

Last Year's Typhoon and Heavy Rain Property Damage 1.2585 Trillion Won... Three Times the 10-Year Average
Average Annual Cumulative Rainfall 1591.2mm, Sixth Highest on Record
Average Annual Temperature 13.2°C, Fifth Highest Since 1973

Due to the impact of Typhoon Maysak, which is the 9th typhoon, a tree has fallen in Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul, where rain and wind were blowing on the 3rd. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Last year, property and human damages caused by the longest monsoon ever recorded and four consecutive typhoons in August and September reached three times the average annual damage amount over the past decade.

On the 29th, the Korea Meteorological Administration, in a joint announcement with related ministries, reported in the "2020 Abnormal Climate Report" that property damage caused by last year's monsoon and heavy rains amounted to 1.2585 trillion KRW, and human casualties reached 46. This exceeded three times the average annual damage amount (388.3 billion KRW) and human casualties (14 people) over the past 10 years.

Last year's average annual cumulative precipitation was 1591.2 mm, ranking sixth highest in history. The monsoon last year started on June 24 and lasted for 54 days until August 16, making it the longest since 1973. The cause of the prolonged monsoon was the delayed northward expansion of the North Pacific High, which expanded into the central region and frequently activated the stationary front.

Typhoon damage was also significant. Among the 23 typhoons that occurred last year, four (Jangmi, Bavi, Maysak, Haishen) affected South Korea. The consecutive typhoons occurring since late August intensified the damage. Among them, the power outage damage caused by Maysak (294,818 households) was twice that caused by Typhoon Lingling the previous year.

Damage Cases Caused by Abnormal Climate Events (Source: Korea Meteorological Administration Abnormal Climate Report)

2020 Abnormal Climate Distribution Map in South Korea (Source: Korea Meteorological Administration Abnormal Climate Report)

The number of landslides recorded was the third highest ever, with 6,175 cases. The damage area to crops caused by fallen fruit and flooding during the harvest season (123,930 hectares) was also larger than in 2019 (74,165 hectares).

Last year's average annual temperature was 13.2°C, higher than the normal (12.5°C), ranking fifth highest since 1973. Due to abnormal high temperatures in winter, January was the warmest since 1973, with both the highest and lowest temperatures in January being the highest ever recorded. As a result, the number of harmful insects increased in summer, and the mountains turned red due to caterpillars, causing foliar damage over 6,183 hectares (across 10 provinces nationwide).

Not only in South Korea but also globally, as the average temperature steadily rises, property and human damages are increasing. Despite the La Ni?a phenomenon, which has a cooling effect, last year was unusually warm. The global average temperature last year was 14.9°C, 1.2°C higher than pre-industrial levels, and the temperatures over the past six years were the warmest on record. The UN conducted a survey of 1.2 million people across 50 countries, with about two-thirds of respondents recognizing climate change as a global emergency.

Park Kwang-seok, Administrator of the Korea Meteorological Administration, said, "The year 2020 was a year when we could feel the seriousness of climate change through abnormal temperatures, prolonged monsoons, and consecutive typhoons. It was also a year that reminded us once again of the importance of the national goal of carbon neutrality and the need for active actions to implement it."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.