2023 was Korea’s hottest year on record amid accelerating global warming.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Wednesday, the country's average temperature last year marked 13-point-seven degrees Celsius, the highest since a standard was established in 1973 with the expansion of the weather observation network.

Last year's average temperature was zero-point-three degrees higher than the previous record of 13-point-four degrees in 2016.

The top ten temperatures were all recorded after 2005 with the exception of 1998 and 1994, indicating that global warming is accelerating.

Last year was already expected to be the hottest year with monthly average temperatures from January to November all higher than previous years.

In an interim report on November 30 last year, the World Meteorological Organization said that 2023 is almost certain to be the hottest year in 174 years of record-keeping, with an average more than one-point-four degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial levels from January to October.