The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) says it remains unclear whether the La Niña phenomenon is responsible for a lower sea surface temperature across the equatorial eastern Pacific Ocean.

The KMA forecasts that the temperature of the sea surface in the region is currently nine-tenths of a degree Celsius lower than usual and will remain low in the year’s second half.

The weather agency said it remains to be seen whether the lower temperatures will continue for any longer than that.

The weather agency said that the low temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean are not directly related to global climate change and that it has yet to be confirmed whether La Niña has affected summer weather in the mid-latitude region of the Northern Hemisphere.