Wildfires and aging society make for deadly mix in South Korea

By Ju-min Park

SEOUL (Reuters) - A combination of an aging society and a reliance on temporary workers meant older people were disproportionately on the frontlines tackling South Korea's devastating wildfires this week - and paid a disproportionate price.

While final breakdown of ages has yet to be tallied, authorities say most of the 28 people killed were older people, who make up an above average proportion of people living in rural areas and among the seasonal firefighting force.

Among those killed were three firefighters in their 60s and the 73-year-old pilot of a firefighting helicopter who died in a crash. On Thursday a 68-year-old temporary wildfire monitor was found dead after he was caught in a fire while trying to return home after days of work battling the blaze.

Some of the fatalities were also elderly people trapped in their homes or others attempting to escape the fire on their own, local media reported. Three residents of a nursing home, all in their 80s, died when their vehicle exploded in the fire, reports said.

About 73% of South Korea's 9,472 seasonal wildfire fighters are over 60-years-old, according to the forest service's latest data, often the only people available to work such schedules.

The position has no age limit and pays $50 per day, employed during January-May and November-December periods, according to the service's website.

"Come and look around here," said Kang Won-gok, an official from a coastal rural town in Yeongdeok county who supervised the wildfire monitor who died. "There's barely any young people in this rural town. And even if there were some young people, who would want to do this low paying, temporary job?"

The town has 11 other wildfire workers, 10 of them over 60.

The wildfires in North Gyeongsang province began in Uiseong county before spreading 70 km (44 miles) east, to devastate an area equivalent to about two-thirds of the island of Singapore - much larger than the Los Angeles fires in January.

In the event of such major wildfires, the forest service workers are supplemented by other forces, including from professional firefighting departments and the military, but still make up a major portion of the firefighting effort.

As of Friday, 2,105 out of 5,587 personnel tackling the blazes in North Gyeongsang province were forest service staff and temporary workers dispatched by local offices, forestry officials say.

The seasonal forest service and local workers are usually called up as first responders when fires start, prompting calls from experts and local politicians for more full-time forces.

"A new structure is needed to bring in more people, more young people to work on wildfires and more regular staff for better preparations," said Lee Chang Woo, professor at Korea Soongsil Cyber University's fire and disaster prevention department.

"But that would require a higher budget, and the government needs to earn public understanding for higher budget," he added.

CALL FOR REFORMS

Lee Cheol-woo, governor of the North Gyeongsang province, said on Friday that the country should "completely overhaul" forest fire policy in the wake of the wildfires that reduced its towns to rubble.

Lee met Acting President Han Duck-soo and demanded such change and Han agreed, Lee told reporters.

The government will look into "comprehensive reform of wildfire measures to prepare for climate change", Han said at a meeting in Andong, one of the most-hit regions.

Experts said elderly residents are also often particularly vulnerable during natural disasters such as fires, which are predicted to worsen amid global climate changes.

Better disaster preparations could save more residents, Lee Chang Woo from Korea Soongsil Cyber University said.

"Municipalities and local communities can find out in advance who needs transportation and support, and have big buses ready so they can evacuate a large number of elderly people at once," he said.

More than 52% of residents in farming and forestry towns are now 65 years old and older, the highest percentage ever, South Korea's statistics agency said last year. That compares to 20% of the country's residents overall.

However, the make up of the population is only one of the issues, experts say. They point to the limited fleets of helicopters, water cannon, and other resources, and urged the government to boost its budgets for disaster response.

"We could have been more nimble, quick, but equipment is old, and in term of wildfire workers, there is lack of expertise issue," Lee Hyang Soo, fire prevention expert at Konkuk University.

"In fact, the country is reluctant to preemptively secure budget for safety, disaster, fire prevention. But we should know we're living in a risk society," said Lee.

($1 = 1,465.8000 won)

(Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Josh Smith and Alison Williams)