Korean Expat Community for National Disasters

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Sea surface temperatures are rising rapidly around Korea, with the increase occurring at more than twice the global average, according to the Korean National Institute of Fisheries Science.

This warming is not only persistent but also accelerating, with recent years showing much faster rates of change. As heat accumulates in the ocean, prolonged high-temperature events are becoming more frequent.

These changes are already altering how marine ecosystems function. Warmer surface water strengthens stratification, reducing vertical mixing and limiting the supply of oxygen and nutrients between surface and deeper layers. As a result, oxygen levels decline and primary productivity can decrease or become unstable.

At the same time, species are shifting and reorganizing. Many marine organisms are moving toward cooler regions, while some subtropical species expand into new areas, changing local food webs. Over time, these shifts accumulate and lead to broader ecosystem restructuring rather than isolated changes.

At this rate, seafood people are used to—like squid or mackerel—might quietly start disappearing, replaced by species they’ve never really seen before.