South Korea province deploys drones to warn elderly farmers amid heatwave
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In South Korea, drones equipped with loudspeakers and thermal imaging cameras are part of measures taken by North Gyeongsang province to protect its farmers.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- North Gyeongsang province in South Korea uses drones with loudspeakers and thermal cameras to warn elderly farmers about the severe heatwave and advise them to take breaks.
- The heatwave, reaching temperatures up to 41.2 deg C, has caused 21 deaths nationwide and led President Lee Jae Myung to declare it a national disaster.
- Farmers reduce working hours due to extreme heat, resulting in a 30 per cent drop in crop yields and increased reliance on migrant workers for harvesting.
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ANDONG, South Korea – Hwang Hyun-guk, a 69-year-old farmer in South Korea, often gets engrossed in tending his pepper crop. These days, however, as the country grapples with its worst heatwave in years, drones flying overhead urge him to take breaks, cool down and work shorter hours.
The drones, equipped with loudspeakers and thermal imaging cameras, are part of measures taken by North Gyeongsang province to protect its farmers, many of whom are elderly, and reduce heat-related illnesses.
Temperatures in the eastern province, a key farming belt, have soared as high as 41.2 deg C.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called the heatwave a “national disaster” and on Aug 6 ordered an all-out response as deaths attributed to the heat rose to 21.
The province built the drone surveillance system in partnership with the Korea Forest Service in 2023 to monitor wildlife.
The authorities began using drones for heatwave alerts in 2025, after officials sought to make broader use of the technology, said Hwang Han-jae, an official in the Safety and Administration Office in the provincial government.
The official drives out twice a day to fly the drones, which can travel up to 5km and reach areas that would otherwise be difficult to access. The drones broadcast warnings such as “Do not work for long hours” and “There is a heatwave alert, so be careful”.
In rural areas, local leaders broadcast heat warnings on a loudspeaker, but many farmers cannot hear the messages in the fields, Hwang said.
“We can also send drones to broadcast alerts to particularly concerning spots, based on what the thermal imaging camera shows us,” he said.
Government data shows the province accounts for 16.7 per cent of South Korean farming households, the highest share nationwide.
People aged 65 and older make up 59.2 per cent of the farming households in the province.
A drone flying over a chilli pepper field to check the temperature during a heatwave warning in Andong, South Korea, on Aug 6.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Other South Korean regions, such as Gwangju and South Jeolla, also use drones to broadcast heatwave warnings.
Hwang, the farmer, said the 2026 heatwave was worse than previous years, prompting him to cut his morning working hours from seven to five and hire two migrant workers to help. They harvest crops under umbrellas, moving on wheeled stools.
“We spend less time in the fields this year since it’s challenging to work outdoors under the scorching temperatures,” he said. “We’ve also seen a 30 per cent decrease in crop yields compared with last year because of the heat.” REUTERS
