South Korea uses drones to warn farmers of extreme heat

South Korea is deploying drones to alert agricultural workers as the country endures its worst heatwave in years, with temperatures in the eastern farming belt reaching 41.2 °C (106 °F). In North Gyeongsang Province, a drone team equipped with loudspeakers and thermal‑imaging cameras flies twice daily, broadcasting messages such as “Do not work for long hours” and directing workers to shade or water stations. The programme, built with the Korea Forest Service in 2023, targets the province’s large share of elderly farmers – 59 % of farm households are aged 65 or older.

Sejong City has also activated a month‑long “heat‑wave response drone team” of 11 certified youth operators to patrol hard‑to‑reach fields, deliver bottled water and issue real‑time safety instructions. President Lee Jae Myung has declared the heatwave a national disaster, ordering an all‑out response after 21 heat‑related deaths were recorded. The drone deployments aim to reduce heat‑related illnesses among farmers, many of whom cannot hear traditional loudspeaker warnings while working in the fields.