Toxic leak in South Korea sickens thousands, ruins crops

October is supposed to be the busiest month of the year for Lim Chae-ho’s vineyards and rice fields in the southern part of South Korea. In a normal year, the 50-year-old farmer would be in the midst of harvesting the crops he had spent months cultivating. But a toxic leak from an explosion at a chemical plant in the nearby city of Gumi two weeks ago has left him empty handed. "Grapes and rice crops are withered and cannot be sold," Lim said over the phone. "All our neighbors are affected," he said. "My neighbor’s 60 cows are drooling and their noses are running with snot and blood. They are refusing to eat."