South Korea’s Livestock in Crisis as Heatwaves Push Farms to the Brink

Scorching summer heat is wreaking havoc on South Korean farms, where livestock are dying in alarming numbers and farmers are left battling conditions that grow more unforgiving by the day. As temperatures soar, the country’s agricultural sector finds itself at the front lines of the climate crisis — and it's losing ground fast.

Source: koreabizwire

On a farm in Jecheon City, North Chungcheong Province, the morning sun has barely reached its peak, yet the thermometer in Won Jang-yeon’s cattle barn already flashes 31°C (87.8°F). The air is thick and unmoving, despite fans roaring at full speed and mist spraying overhead. Inside, his 180 Korean cattle pant heavily, struggling under the oppressive heat.

“A few days ago, it hit 37°C (98.6°F) in here — and that was with all the fans going,” Won says, wiping sweat from his brow. “If we’re this exhausted, what do you think it’s like for the animals?”

The impact goes beyond discomfort. The heat is slowing cattle growth and diminishing meat quality — a direct hit to farmers’ livelihoods. Across South Korea, similar scenes are playing out: animals eating less, immune systems faltering, production grinding down.

Egg farmer Choi Soon-cheol in neighboring Danyang County has seen over 200 of his hens perish in just days. His 13,000-bird operation is now a race against time, with fans and sprinklers working overtime in a losing battle.

“The heat’s relentless. The chickens are weaker, they’re not eating, and I’m terrified egg production will collapse,” he says. Insurance, he adds, barely makes a dent in the financial fallout. “A few hundred dead chickens doesn’t even trigger a meaningful payout. It’s devastating.”

The crisis escalates even further in broiler farms, where high-density conditions turn barns into ovens. Between June 30 and July 7, over 13,000 animals succumbed to heat stress in Chungcheongbuk Province alone — a staggering toll that included thousands of chickens, ducks, and pigs.

On July 7, officials raised the region’s heat emergency to Level 3, issuing a sweeping advisory in a desperate effort to stem further losses. But for many farmers, it’s too little, too late.

Calls for reform are growing louder. Heo Geun-haeng, a local livestock association leader, says the current insurance system no longer fits the realities of a changing climate. “We need to rethink how we support farmers in disaster conditions,” he says. “This is not a one-off event. This is the new normal.”

As heatwaves become a seasonal certainty, farmers warn the country's food security is on increasingly fragile footing. Without urgent adaptation — in infrastructure, policy, and support — South Korea’s barns may not withstand the next wave.