S Korea drafts troops to fight 100-year drought

South Korea has drafted a fifth of its military forces to give emergency aid

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea has drafted its army and navy for the first time ever to help farmers fight the country's worst drought in 100 years.

As well as Korea, the drought has hit much of Northeast Asia including northern China and Mongolia.

South Korean President Kim Dae-jung on Tuesday called for drastic measures, appearing on television and urging the nation to conserve and recycle water.

An emergency committee, headed by the prime minister, has been tasked to deal with the drought, Kim added.

In China, officials are also urging measures to conserve water to deal with what they have called the worst drought in decades.

More than 20 million hectares of China's farmlands in six provinces have been affected, as of the end of May, with about 16 million people facing a water shortage.

In the past three months South Korea has received only about 30 percent of the average rainfall it usually gets during the crucial spring planting season, the Korea Meteorological Administration said.

Korea's rainy season, characterized by flooding, is due to begin at the end of June.

Chronically hungry North Korea is expected to suffer massive food shortages this year, after it suffered its most severe drought in more than 80 years, aid workers said.

Relief measures

This week, South Korea mobilized 130,000 troops -- one-fifth of its total military force -- to help farmers fight the prolonged drought that is threatening this year's rice harvest.

Rice is a staple food in Korea.

The troops were sent to 90 hard-hit regions with drilling machines, trucks, excavators and pumping motors to dig wells or draw water from reservoirs.

For two days, Oh's 9th Infantry Division soldiers, who usually guard part of the tense western border with communist North Korea, used trucks to carry 240,000 liters (62,400 gallons) of water from a reservoir to rice paddies near Koyang, 25 kilometers (16 miles) North of Seoul.

Money for relief

The government has already allocated 152.9 billion won ($118.5 million) from the disaster budget to deal with the drought.

Farming areas hit with severe crop damage would get tax relief and loans, as well as education fees for farmers with children.

The Korean Association of Volunteer Centers said its 900,000 members would launch water conservation campaigns.

Kmi urged citizens to show the same spirit they displayed during a nationwide gold collection campaign in 1998.

At that time, the government asked the public to exchange gold for Korean currency to help overcome a foreign exchange crisis.

"As we weathered the storm during the financial crisis, I believe we can do the same in facing the hardships from the drought," Kim said.

Reuters contributed to this report.