Sejong Youn, director of Plan 1.5 and a lawyer in the pending youth-led climate litigation case, says the reality of climate change in South Korea has become a major threat to people’s lives and livelihoods.
“The monsoon is part of the Korean summer, but the downpours in the past few years are nowhere near what we have seen before. Winters have also become warmer, and less winter snow results in a drier spring, leading to severe drought and increased forest fires,” he says.
“We need to recalibrate the way we manage natural disasters, not just by reflecting recent events but by incorporating the expected risks of the future,” he says. “More importantly, the government needs to enhance its mitigation efforts. Climate adaptation and mitigation must go hand in hand.”
