South Korea's Lee declares disaster zones after floods
The wet weather has now subsided, though media reports said heavy rainfall was drenching parts of North Korea.
Around 19 people have died and nine were still missing in South Korea as of Tuesday morning, while 2,549 people were still displaced, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said.
Around 3,776 facilities, including homes, shops and factories, needing to be cleared of water, debris and earth, the ministry added.
President Lee's declaration of special disaster zones - including in Gapeyeong on the outskirts of Seoul - gave authorities access to emergency administrative and financial support to aid victims.
He earlier told public officials to "spare no effort" in the search for missing people.
The president's approval rating slipped to 62.2% from 64.6% in a survey conducted last week during the rains, according to pollster Realmeter.
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Reuters
3 days ago
- Reuters
South Korea's Lee declares disaster zones after floods
SEOUL, July 22 (Reuters) - South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung declared six districts as special disaster zones on Tuesday after days of torrential rains left a trail of destruction in parts of the country. The wet weather has now subsided, though media reports said heavy rainfall was drenching parts of North Korea. Around 19 people have died and nine were still missing in South Korea as of Tuesday morning, while 2,549 people were still displaced, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said. Around 3,776 facilities, including homes, shops and factories, needing to be cleared of water, debris and earth, the ministry added. President Lee's declaration of special disaster zones - including in Gapeyeong on the outskirts of Seoul - gave authorities access to emergency administrative and financial support to aid victims. He earlier told public officials to "spare no effort" in the search for missing people. The president's approval rating slipped to 62.2% from 64.6% in a survey conducted last week during the rains, according to pollster Realmeter.
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
South Korea flood death toll rises to 18 amid record rain
At least 18 people have died and nine remain missing after days of torrential rain triggered flash floods and landslides across South Korea, displacing thousands and destroying homes and farmland. The downpours began last week and intensified over the weekend, with some areas seeing record-breaking hourly rainfall. More than 14,000 people have been evacuated, and damage has been reported in 15 cities and provinces, including extensive losses to homes, public infrastructure and livestock. The southern county of Sancheong was worst-hit, where 10 people were killed and four others remain missing, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on Monday. Since Wednesday, southern regions have received 24-31 inches of rain, according to the ministry report. Further north in Gapyeong, northeast of Seoul, one man died after being swept away while camping near a stream. His wife and teenage son are still unaccounted for. Another resident died after a house collapsed, and a man in his 70s was buried in a landslide. Footage from affected regions shows villages buried in mud and floodwaters sweeping away vehicles. In Gwangju, residents are clearing debris as soldiers help with recovery efforts. The death toll has climbed steadily since Friday, when four people were confirmed dead and over a thousand were forced to evacuate. One victim, a man in his 50s in Seosan, South Chungcheong, called his wife moments before his car was swept away by rising waters. Nearly 2,000 public infrastructure sites have been damaged, and more than 2,200 cases of damage to private homes have been reported, according to Yonhap. Power was temporarily lost for over 41,000 households, while thousands of farm animals have died. The rain has largely subsided in the worst-hit southern and central areas, but the downpours were still battering northern areas, including the capital Seoul on Sunday. President Lee Jae-myung has declared the worst-affected regions disaster zones, allowing emergency funding to be released. Around 2,500 military personnel have been deployed to assist with cleanup and repair. Interior minister Yun Ho-jung said local authorities had been instructed to mobilise 'all available resources' for the response. Meteorologists warned of a new threat as the Korean Meteorological Administration forecast an incoming heatwave, with temperatures expected to rise to 35C in parts of the country. Heat advisories have been issued for South Jeolla, Gangwon's east coast, and Jeju Island. South Korea has experienced worsening extremes in recent years. In 2022, at least 11 people were killed by floods in what was then the country's heaviest rainfall since records began. Scientific reports have shown the climate crisis is increasing the intensity and frequency of such events, overwhelming existing infrastructure and putting more lives at risk. In April, the country suffered through its deadliest and largest wildfires that were found to have been made worse due to increasing temperatures.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Reuters
Torrential rain leaves at least 18 dead in South Korea, trail of devastation
GAPYEONG, South Korea, July 21 (Reuters) - Severe wet weather in South Korea eased on Monday following days of torrential rain that triggered floods and landslides and left at least 18 people dead, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on Monday. Nine people remained missing as of Sunday evening, the ministry said, with residents of the worst-hit areas in shock. At Gapyeong, some 62 kilometres (38.5 miles) northeast of the capital Seoul, some residents recalled narrow escapes from the floods after 173 millimetres (6.8 inches) of rain deluged the area over just 17 hours on Sunday. Gapyeong was among a number of places that saw a record amount of rain in a single day and broke the previous high for national daily precipitation of 156.3 mm that was set on September 30, 1998. "The ground just sank beneath me, and the water rose all the way up to my neck. Luckily, there was an iron pipe nearby. I held on to it with all my strength," said Ahn Gyeong-bun, the owner of a restaurant that was almost completely destroyed. Two people died and four were missing after a landslide engulfed homes around Gapyeong and floods swept away vehicles as of Sunday, the ministry said. For those remaining like Ahn, an uncertain future awaits. "I've run this restaurant for 10 years ... What am I supposed to do now?" said Ahn, as she stood next to the badly damaged structure of her building perched next to a still swollen river. At times breaking down in tears, the 65-year-old said several of the restaurant's refrigerators were washed away by the flood. Across South Korea, rain damage had been reported to 1,999 public structures and 2,238 private facilities, including farms, the interior ministry said. While the rain has eased, the national weather agency has now issued a nationwide heatwave watch. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a thorough response to the disaster, his office said. "As local heavy rains have become commonplace, customised measures based on regional characteristics are urgently needed," said Kang Yu-jung, the spokesperson for Lee's office. "If serious laxity or mistakes are found in civil servants' discipline, we will hold them accountable and thorough measures will be taken to prevent a recurrence." Lee, who took office in June, has promised to make the country safer and to prevent any repeat of the disasters in recent years that have often been blamed on the inadequate response by authorities.
