Jack Kim and Joyce Lee Reuters Thu, 17 Jul 2025 12:37 UTC
South Korea lashed by heavy rain
Four people died and more than 1,000 have been evacuated in South Korea after the country was lashed by torrential rain on Thursday, the safety ministry said.
A driver was killed after a 10-metre-high (33 ft) roadside wall collapsed on top of a moving vehicle on Wednesday in Osan, some 44 kilometres (27 miles) south of Seoul, fire agency officials said.
Another person was found with no heartbeat in a flooded car in Seosan, South Chungcheong province, and could not be revived.
As of 5 p.m. (0800 GMT), some parts of the South Chungcheong region further south of the capital had seen more than 400 millimetres (15.7 inches) of rain since Wednesday, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said.
The downpours resulted in record rainfall in the area and more wet weather was forecast for Thursday night, the Korea Meteorological Administration said.
Landslide alerts were raised to the highest level for several regions including Chungcheong as the heavy rains continued, according to the Korea Forest Service.
In the city of Gwangju, some 267 kilometres (166 miles) south of Seoul, 87 roads and 38 buildings were submerged within about two hours after torrential rain warnings were issued, according to the Yonhap News Agency.
Some 403 schools were closed and 166 reported property damage from the heavy rain on Thursday, the Ministry of Education said.
More than 5,000 people in South Korea have been forced into shelters as heavy rain pounded
parts of the country for a third day, with the deluge killing at least four people and destroying property and infrastructure, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on July 18.
Warnings of torrential rain remain in effect for most of the country's western and southern regions and the weather service has advised extreme caution against landslides and flooding till July 19.
Some parts in the south, including Gwangju city, were hit by record precipitation of more than 400mm in the past 24 hours as at early on July 18, the ministry said.
Seventeen people have been killed and 11 have gone missing in the heavy rains and landslides that began across South Korea four days ago, the government said Sunday.
The data from the interior ministry and the National Fire Agency, as of 6 p.m. Sunday, also showed that a large portion of the toll -- 10 dead and four missing -- occurred in the southern county of Sancheong.
The other deaths occurred in Osan and Gapyeong in Gyeonggi Province; Seosan, South Chungcheong Province; and Dangjin, South Chungcheong, and the southwestern city of Gwangju.
Firefighting officials said rescue work was still under way in Sancheong, which could lead to a change in the toll.
Torrential rains have slammed the nation since Wednesday, with Sancheong receiving an accumulated 793.5 millimeters of rain as of 5 p.m. Sunday. The adjacent county of Hapcheon has received 699 mm, while the nearby county of Hadong has received 621.5 mm.
On a daily basis, Gapyeong, 55 kilometers northeast of Seoul, received an accumulated 197.5 mm of rain, the most for Sunday.
Authorities have registered 1,999 cases of flooded roads, soil loss and destroyed public facilities, and 2,238 other cases of damage to private property, such as buildings and farmland.
A total of 13,492 people have taken shelter across 15 major cities and provinces. A total of 62 flights were cancelled.
Authorities expected showers to fall late Sunday in some areas of Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang provinces but lifted the highest stage of its emergency response system as of 6 p.m.
Earlier in the day, President Lee Jae Myung instructed the government to find ways to swiftly designate areas hit hard by recent heavy rains as special disaster zones, according to his spokesperson.
Special disaster zones are entitled to government support for damage recovery and victims relief.
Comment: Update July 18
Reuters reports: Update July 20
The Korea Herald reports: