South Korea has been experiencing continuous heavy rainfall in recent days, with precipitation levels in many areas breaking local records, leading to at least 4 deaths, 1 person missing, and over 5,000 people being urgently evacuated. The heavy rain has also caused road collapses and damage to buildings across the country, with some railways and ferry services forced to halt operations, as the disaster continues to escalate.
According to the South Korean Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, as of 6 a.m. on the 18th, 2 people in Seosan City, Chungcheongnam-do, 1 person in Tangjin City, and 1 person in Osan City, Gyeonggi-do, have lost their lives due to accidents caused by heavy rain, with 1 person reported missing in Gwangju City. The disaster has led to the evacuation of 5,192 people nationwide, along with 328 submerged roads, 496 affected public facilities, and 276 damaged private properties.
The heavy rainfall has also resulted in the closure of sections of highways, disruptions in railway services, and the suspension of 31 ferry routes. As of 6 p.m. on the 17th local time, about 70 domestic and international flights have been grounded.
According to the Gwangju Regional Meteorological Administration, as of 10 p.m. on the 17th, Gwangju City received a record-breaking daily precipitation of 412.7 millimeters, the highest since records began in 1939. Seosan City, Chungcheongnam-do, also recorded 438.8 millimeters of rainfall on the 17th, setting a new local record since 1968. The Korea Meteorological Administration reported that on the 17th, regions such as Sejong City, Tangjin, Cheonan, Gasan, Yesan, Iksan, and Hongseong in Chungcheong Province experienced rainfall never seen in 200 years.
The Korea Meteorological Administration predicts that heavy rainfall will persist in the central and southern regions from the 18th to the 19th, with localized accumulations potentially exceeding 300 millimeters.
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced on the 17th that the emergency response alert level was raised to the highest level of “severe,” and initiated a level 3 contingency plan. The government has vowed to mobilize all available resources to respond to the heavy rain and advised the public to minimize outdoor activities during the stormy weather.