A prolonged drought that has plagued South Korea's southern provinces this winter has spread to other regions in the nation.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on Monday that drought advisories and warnings have been issued in most parts of the country, including Seoul, Daegu and throughout Gangwon Province. 

Amid the ongoing dry spell, since the beginning of this year through Sunday, there have been 112 forest fires, which have burned nearly 210 hectares of land. 

Sixty-one forest fires were reported during the same period last year and burned about eight hectares of land. In terms of areas burned, this year's damage is almost 27 times as much as last year.