North Gyeongsang wildfire damage nears ₩1.13 trillion

A wildfire that tore through North Gyeongsang Province last month burned an estimated 90,000 hectares—nearly double the Korea Forest Service’s initial estimate and roughly 1.5 times the size of Seoul. The damage is estimated at 1.13 trillion won ($820 million).

According to North Gyeongsang Province on Thursday, a joint investigation by the province, local governments, and the Korea Forest Service found that wildfires scorched about 90,000 hectares across five cities and counties. The burned areas were registered in the National Disaster Management System after on-site inspections by officials.

The actual damage far exceeded the Korea Forest Service’s original estimate of 45,157 hectares. “We estimate fire-affected areas based on the ‘fire belt,’ using drones and helicopters,” a Forest Service official said. “But strong winds made it difficult to operate those tools, and the flames spread rapidly, making real-time monitoring difficult.”

The official noted that the final figure will be confirmed by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. “The current number is not yet finalized,” the official said.

Some have accused the Korea Forest Service of attempting to downplay the fire’s scale. The agency denied the allegations, saying, “There is no reason to intentionally understate the affected area, since damage figures are released only after the fire has been extinguished.”

The Korea Forest Service plans to release preliminary findings on wildfire damage in North and South Gyeongsang provinces on Friday at the government complex in Daejeon. Damage to public and private property in North Gyeongsang is currently estimated at 1.13 trillion won. Authorities extended the assessment period to Thursday, two days beyond the original deadline.


Kim Tae Young live@donga.com