Andong

Born in 1963 in a mountain village in Andong, Gyeongbuk Province, he was the fifth of five sons and two daughters, and - due to his family's difficult circumstances - skipped middle school to illegally enter the workforce.

An Andong resident who evacuated but lost her home told the BBC her family and their neighbours were caught off guard by the fires.

Andong, one of the worst-hit cities, is known for its tranquil pine forests.

The wildfires first broke out last Friday in Sancheong County, in the country's southeast, but have now spread to neighbouring cities of Uiseong, Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang and Yeongdeok.

I continued south by car for two hours to reach the Gyeongsangbuk province, home to the Andong Hahoe Hanok Village nestled into a flat and sandy ox bow of the Nakdong River.