South Korea's worst-ever wildfires continued to rage in southeastern areas of the country as the death toll rose to 28, with 32 others injured, the government said on Thursday.
Medium and large wildfires have been burning across 10 regions, mostly in Gyeongsang Province, since last Friday. South Korea's Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said on Thursday that 387,000 hectares of land had been affected, forcing the evacuation of around 37,800 people.
In the country's previous worst wildfires, in 2000, 23,794 hectares of land were burned.
Kim Wae-seon, a 77-year-old, is living at a gymnasium in Uiseong County with dozens of other evacuees. She fled her home with literally nothing but the clothes on her back.
"I didn't even have time to think about it. When they told us to evacuate, I just ran out wearing slippers, without even grabbing my sneakers. I had nowhere to go, so now I'm staying here," she said.
Temporary shelters have been set up across the region, offering food, blankets, medical care, and other basic needs to the displaced. Volunteers, local businesses, and aid organizations are working around the clock to provide support.
"As soon as I got here, I focused on how to greet and comfort the evacuees, especially the elderly. I wanted to help them feel safe and reassured. With this thought, I calmed them one by one. I told them, 'It's okay. You're safe here. Don't worry. The fire won't reach you.' Just reassuring them like that. 'We're here, so you'll be fine.'" said Kang Geum-sook, a volunteer.
However, for people like Kim who have lost their homes, it's hard to remain optimistic.
"We worked so hard all our lives, never borrowing money from others, always trying to help instead. Even after my husband passed away, I kept volunteering. I truly lived my life working hard. I never imagined this would happen. But now, there's no hope," Kim said.
Meanwhile, firefighters continued to battle the flames under dangerous conditions. The country's forest service raised the wildfire crisis alert to the highest level, while thousands of firefighters, as well as helicopters and fire trucks, were mobilized to combat the wildfires.
Light rain fell in some wildfire areas on Thursday, slowing the spread of the fires but not extinguishing those already burning, Lim Sang-seop, head of the Korea Forest Service, told a press conference on Thursday.
Death toll in South Korea's worst-ever wildfires rises to 28
The 2025 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) is underway in Beijing, bringing together global experts and industry leaders to discuss cutting-edge advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and humanoid robot innovation.
The ZGC Forum features a series of events including the "AI Theme Days" which run from March 27 to 31. This segment comprises two core forums, five specialized forums, and many featured activities.
Seven significant AI achievements were unveiled at the Future Artificial Intelligence Pioneer Forum on Saturday, including the Beijing AI Public Computing Platform Eco-Network. This network will amalgamate computing resources nationwide and optimize resource allocation, thus garnering considerable attention and discussion from attendees.
Li Dahai, a corporate executive attending the event, expressed enthusiasm about the platform's potential to provide high-quality computing services at a lower cost, and to facilitate innovation.
"Through such a plan, we can obtain very good computing power services, which have not only high quality but also lower cost. This is extremely helpful for us to better engage in innovative work. In fact, the government has also built a good data trading platform on the basis of the computing power platform. Through such a data trading platform, we can also more conveniently access more data providers, allowing large models to have more data nourishment," he said.
This year's ZGC forum also spotlights various humanoid robots, showcasing the boundless applications of new technologies.
The humanoid robot of "Tiangong" can adeptly navigates challenging terrains involving slopes, rocks, and sandbags, showcasing its skills in traversing complex landscapes.
"Our goal is to imbue robots with true intelligence, enabling them to comprehend commands, interpret their surroundings, autonomously plan task sequences, and ultimately assist in achieving objectives. In scenarios like electricity inspection which involved high voltage power cabinets, the ‘Tiangong’ robot can execute relatively hazardous maneuvers with precision," said Li Yipeng, a staff member at the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center.
Meanwhile, another humanoid robot also demonstrated football playing and completed with celebratory gestures after scoring a goal.
A robot developed by the Linkerbot Beijing Technology, capable of playing the piano with dexterity, stands out for its nimble hands. It can effortlessly handle tasks like screwing bolts and conducting research experiments.
"The robot can perform very delicate operations, such as tightening screws, in advanced manufacturing applications," said Zou Hanzhang, a staff member of the marketing department of the company.
According to the organizer, this year's ZGC Forum displays nearly 100 representative robots from 15 companies, and the humanoid robots are breaking new ground with AI in entertainment, commercial services, and are progressively finding applications in logistics sorting, healthcare and elderly care sectors.
2025 Zhongguancun Forum highlights AI, humanoid robots
