Days of torrential rains and subsequent high temperatures have taken a heavy toll on South Korea's livestock industry, triggering a sharp rise in food prices.
In Sunchang County in the country's North Jeolla Province, a 2,200-square-meter chicken farm with 38,000 broiler chickens was seriously destroyed by the flood.
The farm's manager said that these broiler chickens were originally planned to be sold to a processing factory next month. However, all the chickens were killed by the flood.
"The farm has suffered at least 40 million Korean won (about 29,180 U.S. dollars) in losses. The equipment has also malfunctioned due to flooding, which is also a loss. Moreover, after being flooded like this, we cannot raise chickens again within 40 to 50 days because we need to carry out epidemic prevention, disinfection, and pest control. We are facing multiple losses," said chicken farm manager Kwon Seong-taek.
According to data from the country's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, five consecutive days of heavy rains have caused the death of 1.78 million poultry and livestock nationwide, which is 1.8 times the damage caused by the rainy season last year.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety also said on Thursday morning that as of Tuesday, more than 1.02 million poultry and livestock had died due to high temperatures this year, which is 13 times of that in the same period of last year.
Under multiple influences, the current wholesale price of chicken in South Korea went up nearly 20 percent year on year. The prices of pork and beef fluctuated slightly, and the prices of many vegetables and fruits also rose sharply.
The producer price index, a key indicator of consumer inflation, increased by 0.1 percent in June from the previous month, reaching 119.77, marking the first monthly rise since March.
In addition, the country's 12 auto insurance companies said Wednesday that they had received reports of 3,874 cars being flooded, and estimated the scale of losses to be 38.86 billion won.
Extreme weather takes heavy toll on South Korea's livestock industry
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
