South Korea is standing at a crossroads as it grapples with the dual challenges of rapidly accelerating climate change and the need for a more unified approach to biotechnology governance. Recent government moves and new scientific analyses reveal the urgency of action—and the complexity of the solutions required.
On December 30, 2025, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) released its landmark '113-Year Climate Change Analysis Report for Our Country.' According to KMA, the number of heatwave days in South Korea has surged 2.2 times over the past century, while tropical night days (when nighttime temperatures remain uncomfortably high) have soared an astonishing 4.2-fold. The nation’s average annual temperature has climbed by 0.21°C per decade since 1912, rising from 12.0°C in the 1910s to 14.8°C in the 2020s. Even more striking, seven of the last ten years are now among the warmest on record, with 2024 topping the charts at 15.4°C, followed closely by 2023 and 2021.
This dramatic warming has brought with it more frequent and intense heatwaves, longer stretches of sweltering tropical nights, and heavier downpours, even as the number of rainy days has actually decreased. KMA’s data shows that while precipitation days have declined by about 0.68 days per decade, total annual rainfall has increased by nearly 18 millimeters per decade. The result? Fewer but fiercer storms, more flash floods, and a growing risk of complex climate disasters.
Regional differences are also coming into sharper focus. The KMA report highlights that central inland areas—such as southern Gyeonggi, Yeongseo in Gangwon, and the inland Chungcheong region—have experienced some of the steepest rises in both average and minimum temperatures. Cities are particularly hard hit: urban areas now see minimum temperatures 1.3°C higher than their rural counterparts, and tropical night days occur 2.2 times more often in cities. In the 2020s, Seoul experienced a jump from 5.5 heatwave days in the 1970s to 20.0, while Busan went from just 1.0 to 8.8 days. Jeju, the southern island, recorded a staggering 56.8 tropical night days in the 2020s.
“Recent climate change is characterized by unprecedented temperature rises and the simultaneous occurrence of multiple extreme events such as heatwaves, tropical nights, heavy rains, and droughts, leading to complex disasters and intensifying regional differences,” said KMA Administrator Lee Mi-seon, as quoted in the official report. She emphasized the profound impact on public safety, regional economies, and society as a whole. Lee added, “As climate change intensifies, the KMA is reorganizing its response systems for heatwaves and heavy rain, including new severe heatwave warnings and tropical night advisories, and expanding emergency alerts for heavy rain. To address the climate crisis, we will do our best to provide reliable analysis by thoroughly monitoring climate change and investigating its causes.”
Against this backdrop of environmental upheaval, the South Korean government is also moving to overhaul the way it manages biotechnology and bioresources. In late December, the National Science and Technology Advisory Council convened its fourth deliberative meeting and approved two major agenda items: the '4th National Bioresources Management and Utilization Master Plan (2026-2030)' and the '1st Food and Drug Regulatory Science Innovation Master Plan (2026-2030).' These plans, jointly established by a dozen ministries and agencies, aim to streamline the management and industrial use of bio-materials, harness artificial intelligence for bio data, and strengthen public-private partnerships to drive innovation.
Perhaps the most significant change is the planned merger of the presidential 'National Bio Committee'—originally established under President Yoon Suk Yeol—and the Biohealth Innovation Committee, which operates under the Prime Minister’s Office. The goal, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT, is to eliminate the current dual governance structure that has hampered progress and create a single, more effective body tentatively called the 'National Bio Innovation Committee.'
The National Bio Committee had a rocky start. Although it was launched in January 2025, it has not held a plenary meeting since May, and critics have argued that its functions overlapped with those of the existing Biohealth Innovation Committee, leading to inefficiency and confusion. The government’s new plan is to consolidate these committees and reorganize the public-private, cross-ministry bio data collaboration system. However, as of late December, key details—such as whether the new committee will be overseen by the Presidential Office or the Prime Minister’s Office—remain undecided.
Central to the new master plan is the integration of bio data scattered across national R&D projects, public institutions, and private companies into a single National Bio Data Integration Platform, known as K-BDS. The government aims to secure over 7 million data points by 2030, leveraging data regeneration and other advanced techniques. To ensure quality, all cross-ministry national R&D projects will be required to submit Data Management Plans, and the network of Quality Leading Centers will be expanded.
Another key initiative is the development of specialized regional bio-material industries. Core research institutions in each region are expected to leverage local bio-materials and advanced research facilities, working closely with industry partners to meet corporate demand. The status and functions of the National Bioresource Information Center will also be strengthened to support these efforts.
These sweeping reforms come at a time when the bio-industry is seen as a crucial engine for economic growth—and a vital tool in responding to the mounting threats posed by climate change. The government’s emphasis on AI-driven bio-innovation and robust data management reflects a recognition that the challenges of the future will require both scientific ingenuity and nimble policy coordination.
For ordinary South Koreans, these changes may seem abstract, but the impacts are anything but. The summer of 2025 saw 4,660 people suffer from heat-related illnesses, the second-highest number on record, as relentless heatwaves battered the country. The KMA warns that such extreme events are likely to become even more frequent and severe unless urgent action is taken.
For those looking to dig deeper, detailed information from the KMA’s climate report is available on the KMA Climate Information Portal (www.climate.go.kr). As South Korea faces down a future shaped by both scientific promise and environmental peril, the choices made in the coming years will determine not just the resilience of its bio-industry, but the safety and well-being of its people.
