Charred, black ruins at South Korea's Gounsa temple stood in stark contrast to the kaleidoscope of colours that are a trademark of the country's historic palaces and Buddhist temples.

Wildfires in South Korea have resulted in deaths, turned an ancient Buddhist temple into ashes and forced the evacuation of residents of a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A burnt vehicle, in which a village leader Kwon and his wife were found dead while they were on their way back to their village to rescue other people during a wildfire, lies on the side of a road, in Yeongyang,