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South Korea's worst ever wildfires kill 30, destroy ecosystem which may take a century to recover

Editor's note: In this weekly feature China Daily gives voice to Asia and its people. The stories presented come mainly from the Asia News Network (ANN), of which China Daily is among its 20 leading titles.

The deadly wildfires in southeastern South Korea have been brought under control, but it could take 100 years for the ecosystem in the area affected by the wildfires to recover, according to forestry researchers.

The wildfires burned through 48,238 hectares — an area equivalent to about 80 percent of the size of Seoul — despite a week of containment efforts, claiming 30 lives and injuring 45 people.