Wildfires Kill 27 in South Korea and Destroy Historic Buddhist Temples

South Korean Acting President Han Duck-soo described it as a ‘critical situation.’

A helicopter tries to extinguish a wildfire by dropping water at a national park in Cheongsong, South Korea, on March 27, 2025. Lee Moo-yeol/Newsis via AP

Wildfires in South Korea have claimed the lives of at least 27 people and destroyed centuries-old Buddhist temples.

Among the dead was a helicopter pilot killed as he tackled a fire on March 26, and four firefighters who died after being trapped by a rapidly moving blaze.