The year 2023 was the warmest year of all time for South Korea, as global warming heated up the Korean Peninsula to reach an average temperature of 13.7 degrees Celsius last year, the state weather agency said.

It marks the highest annual mean temperature since 1973, the year considered the starting point for weather records in South Korea when the country’s meteorological networks were significantly beefed up, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

Last year’s temperature exceeds the previous top record of 13.4 C set in 2016.

The record-breaking temperatures last year had been expected, given the mean temperatures nationwide were higher than average years all throughout January-November, and six months ranked within the top 10 temperatures last year. (Yonhap)