Latest news with #MinistryOfInteriorAndSafety
Free Malaysia Today
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
South Korea's Lee orders all-out effort to find missing after floods
Houses collapsed from a landslide due to heavy rain in Sancheong, South Korea. (Yonhap/AP pic) SEOUL : South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung told public officials on Tuesday to 'spare no effort' in the search for missing people and on damage recovery after days of torrential rains left a trail of destruction in various parts of the country. The wet weather has now subsided, though media reports said heavy rainfall was drenching parts of North Korea. Some 19 people have died, and nine were still missing in South Korea as of Tuesday morning, while 2,549 people remained displaced, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said. Damage to property was extensive, with some 3,776 facilities, including homes, shops and factories, needing to be cleared of water, debris and earth, it said. Noting the limitations of existing methods in coping with last week's rain, Lee ordered the prime minister and all related ministries to establish a comprehensive response system for natural disasters by region and type. Lee also told a cabinet meeting to 'strictly crack down on mindless public officials who enjoy dancing and drinking at.. locations where people are dying.' The president's approval rating fell to 62.2% from 64.6% previously, according to pollster Realmeter, in a survey conducted last week during the torrential rains. 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.
Reuters
22-07-2025
- Climate
- 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.
Asharq Al-Awsat
21-07-2025
- Climate
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Torrential Rain Leaves at Least 18 Dead in South Korea, Trail of Devastation
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 kilometers (38.5 miles) northeast of the capital Seoul, some residents recalled narrow escapes from the floods after 173 millimeters (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, Reuters quoted the ministry as saying. 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, customized 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.
NHK
20-07-2025
- Climate
- NHK
Torrential rain in South Korea leaves 14 dead
The death toll from heavy rainfall in South Korea has risen to 14. Twelve people are still missing. Authorities are continuing search and rescue efforts. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety released the figures as of 10 a.m. on Sunday. It says the tally covered the five-day period from Wednesday. Torrential rain swept across much of South Korea over the past several days, causing damage primarily in mountainous areas in the country's south and north. South Korean media reported that Sancheong in South Gyeongsang Province saw about 800 millimeters of rain over a 5-day period starting Wednesday. The reports said the downpours triggered flooding and landslides, with eight people confirmed dead and six others missing as of Sunday morning. They also said the disaster forced more than 2,000 people to evacuate from their homes. Reports from Gapyeong in Gyeonggi Province say two people have been killed and four others are missing after heavy rainfall destroyed houses and swept away a vehicle.
South China Morning Post
18-07-2025
- Climate
- South China Morning Post
Heavy rainfall kills at least four and displaces over 1,000 in South Korea
Read more about this: Torrential rain in South Korea killed at least four people on July 17, 2025. Authorities evacuated over 1,000 residents amid the record deluge and with more rain in the forecast. The Ministry of Education reported 403 school closures and 166 incidents of property damage. Some parts of the South Chungcheong region, south of the capital, saw more than 400mm (16 inches) of rain since July 16, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
