"Is the Era of Weathercasters Shaking?"... Weather Expert Makes Debut on MBC News Desk

From "Rain Tomorrow" to "Why Heavy Rain?"

TV Weather Returns to Experts After 35 Years

In the Era of Climate Change, Demand Grows for Explanatory Weather Reporting

(From left) Dongwan Kim, former Meteorological Communicator at Korea Meteorological Administration; Chaerim Geum, former MBC weathercaster; Taegu Yoon, MBC weather analyst. MBC broadcast screen

Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has replaced freelance weathercasters with full-time weather experts for its News Desk weather segment. As extreme weather events have become more frequent due to climate change, this move is seen as a signal that the role of televised weather segments is shifting from simply delivering forecasts to serving as scientific commentary that interprets meteorological phenomena.

Since March 3, MBC has assigned Taegu Yoon, a full-time weather analyst, to the weekday News Desk weather segment. Yoon majored in atmospheric science at Monash University in Australia and holds both a weather technician certification and a weather forecaster license. He also has experience serving as a weather officer in the Air Force, where he was responsible for weather analysis and forecasting.

MBC explained that this revamp aims "to strengthen the professionalism of weather information and provide more accurate and easily understandable weather services." During the broadcast, Analyst Yoon explains meteorological phenomena using weather maps and pressure systems, and in the 'Weather Insight' segment, he introduces major weather events and the scientific principles behind them.

Korean TV weather forecasts were not always centered on weathercasters. In the 1970s and 1980s, it was common for Korea Meteorological Administration forecasters or meteorological experts to appear on broadcasts, using maps and observational data to explain weather patterns. At that time, the weather segment functioned mainly as supplementary information for the news.

The format of broadcast weather changed in the early 1990s. As competition between news programs intensified, weather segments began to establish themselves as standalone content rather than merely relaying information. In 1991, MBC became the first broadcaster in Korea to introduce weathercasters, which dramatically changed the format of televised weather segments. Other broadcasters soon followed, and the weathercaster system became the standard for broadcast weather in Korea.

In this process, most weathercasters were employed as freelancers. Due to the nature of the short segments and the focus on on-screen delivery, broadcasters preferred freelancers with strong presentation skills over full-time weather journalists. This preference led to an outsourcing and freelancer-centric structure becoming the norm.

Recently, analysts have pointed out that the role of broadcast weather is again shifting. As extreme weather events such as heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and typhoons become more frequent due to climate change, the need to interpret and explain meteorological phenomena—beyond simply reporting forecasts—has grown increasingly important. The ability to check temperature and precipitation in real time through smartphone applications has also accelerated the evolution of broadcast weather’s role.

Similar discussions are taking place internationally. Researchers at the University of Barcelona in Spain have defined TV weather presenters as 'science communicators for broadcasters.' This means they not only deliver weather information but also explain scientific knowledge to the public. Research by the American Meteorological Society also found that weather presenters are playing the role of climate change educators in their local communities.

Juhee Jung, a former SBS weathercaster who is now a climate caster, said, "Even when I worked as a weathercaster, I often reported on weather events that required explanation, such as record-breaking heatwaves or typhoons, but I regret not being able to fully explain climate change." She added, "As extreme weather events become more frequent, it will become all the more important not only to deliver the weather but also to explain its background and significance."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.