The Asian summer monsoon has a profound social and economic impact in East Asia and its surrounding countries. The monsoon is basically a response of the atmosphere to the differential heating between the land mass of the Asian continent and the adjacent oceans. The atmospheric response, however, is quite complicated due to the interactions between the atmospheric heat sources, land-sea contrast, and topography, The occurrence of extreme summertime floods in Korea, Japan, and China in 1998 and 1999 has highlighted the range of variability of the East Asian summertime monsoon circulation and spurred interest in investigating the cause of such extreme variability. While ENSO is often considered a prime mechanism responsible for the unusual hydrological disasters in East Asia, understanding of the connection between ENSO and the East Asian monsoon is hampered by their dynamic complexities. Along with a recent phenomenon of weather abnormalities observed in many parts of the globe, Korea has seen its share of increased weather abnormalities such as the record-breaking heavy rainfalls due to a series of flash floods in the summers of 1998 and 1999, following devastating Yangtze river floods in China. A clear regime shift is found in the tropospheric mean temperature in the northern hemisphere middle latitudes and the surface temperature over the Asian continent during the summer with a sudden warming since 1977. Either decadal climate variation or climate regime shift in the Asian continent is evident and may have altered the characteristics of the East Asian summer monsoon. Considering the summertime rainfall amount in Korea is overall increased lately, the 1998/99 heavy rainfalls may not be isolated episodes related only to ENSO, but could be a part of long-term climate variation. The record-breaking heavy summer rainfalls in Korea may not be direct impact of ENSO. Instead, the effects of decadal climate variation and ENSO may be coupled to each other and also to the East Asian summer monsoon system, while their individual impacts are difficult to separate.

During the recent decades, he problem of climate variability and change has been in the forefront of scientific problems. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of climate variability on crop growth and yield. The growth duration was the main impact of climate variability on crop yield. Phyllochronterval was shortened in the global worming situations. A simple model to describe developmental traits was provided from heading data of directly seeded rice cultivars and temperature data. Daily mean development rate could be explained by the average temperature during the growth stage. Simple regression equation between daily mean development rate(x) and the average temperature(y) during the growth period as y = ax + b. It can be simply modified as x = 1/a $\ast$ (y-b). The parameters of the model could depict the thermo sensitivity of the cultivars. On the base of this model, the three doubled CO2 GCM scenarios were assessed. The average of these would suggest a decline in rice production of about 11% if we maintained the current cultivars. Future cultivar's developmental traits could be suggested by the two model parameters.

It was unusual crop weather for 1998 and 1999 compared with normal in Korea. The consecutive days of the optimum ripening period for rice plant that had daily mean temperature 21-23C for 40 days after heading, increased with long anomalies in 1998-99. The air temperature during ripening period was much higher than the optimum temperature and lower sunshine hour than normal in the local adaptability tests of newly developed rice lines during those years. In response of rice cultivation to warming and cloudy weather during crop season, the yield shall be decreased. Most scientists agree that the rate of heating is accelerating and temperature change could become increasingly disruptive. Weather patterns should also become more erratic. Agrometeorologists could be analyzed yearly variations of temperature, sunshine hour and rainfall pattern focused on transient agroclimate change for last a decade. Rice agronomists could be established taking advantage of real time agricultural meteorology information system for fertilization, irrigation, pest control and harvest. Also they could be analyzed the characteristics of flowering response of the recommended and newly bred rice cultivars for suitable cropping plan such as cultural patterns and sowing or transplanting date. Rice breeders should be deeply considered introducing the characteristics of basic vegetative type of flowering response like Tonsil rices as prospective rice cultivars corresponding to global warming because of the rices needed higher temperature at ripening stage than Japonica rices, photoperiod sensitive and thermo-sensitive ecotypes

This paper is to introduce recent collaborative activities in agricultural weather information services among institutions in Korea as well as key concepts for understanding agrometeorological services. KMA and RDA have agreed upon the establishment of the Joint Committee for Agrometeorolgy at national level to strengthen the national agrometeorological services in data collection, information production, research, and services to end-users of agrometeorological information in Korea. Several on-going joint projects in agrometeorology by RDA/KMA are introduced in brief. The projects being developed are : Strengthening of the Joint Committee of agrometeorology, Extension of observation network for agricultural weather, Production of the detailed agrometeorological information based on numerical weather forecasts, Development of seasonal and interannual weather forecasts for agricultural applications, Information network system for supporting agrometeorological research, and Improvement of agrometeorological information services at national and regional level. Strengthening of programs for the education and training of agrometeorologists will be impending responsibilities of the government. The government must consider establishment of organizations dedicated to and in charge of national agrometeorological services to end-users. RDA and KMA should play a major role to obtain this goal, based on a close cooperation with universities, scientific societies, and other relevant institutions. If this plan is successful, major infrastructures and services in agrometeorology shall be established in the next 5 years, and we can contribute to regional and global societies through sharing experiences and know-hows.