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By Lee Kyung-min
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) is under fire over repeated failures to make correct weather forecasts on when the nationwide heat wave will subside.
Already irritated by the heat, citizens say the weather agency is making the summer feel even hotter, calling it the "Korea Misreporting Administration."
The state agency made four wrong forecasts this month as to when the heat wave would end.
On Aug. 10, it predicted that the mercury would reach a peak on Aug. 15 and would significantly fall afterward.
However, on Aug. 14, the KMA retracted its earlier forecast and said the heat wave would grip the nation for two more days, adding that starting Aug. 18, the weather would be much more tolerable.
The prediction was also proven wrong as the mercury rose to 37.9 degrees Celsius in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, Sunday afternoon.
The agency made two more incorrect forecasts, and the nation is still under the grip of record-breaking heat.
In response to the criticism for the wrong forecasts, the KMA said an unexpected inactive hot air mass in the East Sea was the cause of its string of mistakes. But critics say the absence of professional, experienced weather experts in the agency is the main culprit of repeated errors in forecasting.
Although the agency purchased a 53.2-billion-won ($47 million) super computer in January, along with up-to-date weather prediction software, the computer remains useless without an expert to use it properly, according to a meteorological disaster researcher.
"The three key elements to deliver correct weather forecasts are the computer, the software and an expert who is good at combining the technology with personal knowledge in the field. Korea has the first two, but is lacking the third element," he said.
"Offering KMA officials incentives for successful forecasts might help them stay motivated to increase the accuracy of their work," he added.
Meanwhile, some Internet users compared the state agency to the boy that cried wolf, saying they are not only inconvenienced and frustrated by the false information, but also rapidly losing trust in the state agency.
"I don't even remember how many times I have heard the KMA say that the heat wave will subside soon," one Internet user wrote.
"Do not say when the heat will subside if you don't know accurately. Then I will give up and just endure the heat," another said. "It's not the heat, but the KMA that irritates me more."
