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Torrential rainfall leaves 5 dead or missing, massive damage in its wake

Published: 18 Jul. 2025, 14:37

Firefighters save a resident from an underpass in Sancheong County, South Gyeongsang, on July 17. [NEWS1]

Torrential downpours drenched much of Korea this week, leaving five people dead or missing and damaging or flooding 772 public and private facilities in just two days, in what officials called one of the most widespread monsoon disasters in years.

As of 6 a.m. Friday, four people had been confirmed dead and one was reported missing, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH). The missing person is a man who disappeared near the Sinan Bridge in Buk District, Gwangju.

Among the reported damage to public infrastructure were 328 cases of road flooding, 62 instances of soil erosion, 30 embankment failures, three sinkholes, two river overflows and one submerged train station.

Private property damage included the flooding of 203 buildings in Gwangju, 69 flooded acres of farmland in South Chungcheong and three cases of wall or vacant house collapses in Seoul.

A total of 5,192 people from 3,413 households across 13 cities and provinces have been evacuated due to the downpour, and 4,531 people from 3,003 households had yet to return home as of Friday morning. Local governments are currently providing temporary shelter to over 4,000 people from 2,863 households.

Roads are flooded in Asan, South Chungcheong, on July 18. [NEWS1]

Transportation was also severely disrupted. As of 9 a.m., regular trains on the Gyeongbu Line between Seoul and Daejeon and between Dongdaegu and Busan had been suspended.

All regular and high-speed trains in the southern region, excluding the Gyeongbu Line, were halted, including KTX services on the Gyeongjeon Line, Honam Line and Jeolla Line.

Regular train service on the Janghang Line, Seohae Line and Chungbuk Line was also suspended.

In addition to rail suspensions, authorities have closed 54 riverbank roads, 27 underpasses, 119 riverside parking lots and 393 low-lying bridges. Heavy rain warnings remain in effect for Gwangju, Busan, South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang. Most other regions, including Seoul, are under rain advisories, and landslide warnings have been issued in 25 locations nationwide.

On Thursday at 3:30 p.m., the government raised its emergency response level to the highest, Level 3, to minimize damage and mobilize all available resources. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety issued more than 29,000 emergency alerts and preemptively shut down access to 80 mountain trails, riverbanks and underpasses.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has activated a 24-hour disaster response unit, and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is operating at its top emergency level. The National Fire Agency also launched its Central Emergency Rescue Control Center at 6 p.m. Thursday and dispatched field officers to four hard-hit provinces: North Gyeongsang, South Gyeongsang, South Jeolla and North Jeolla.

Commercial buildings are flooded in Nam District, Gwangju, on July 17. [NEWS1]

The CDSCH said it is continuing to monitor weather developments closely and urged local authorities to prepare for additional rainfall.

As of 5 a.m. Friday, cumulative rainfall measured 442 millimeters (17.4 inches) in Gwangju, 445 millimeters in Naju, South Jeolla, 437.6 millimeters in Hongseong, South Chungcheong, and 427.1 millimeters in Seosan, South Chungcheong.

Inland regions in both central and southern Korea received over 400 millimeters of rain. Seosan, in particular, recorded a peak hourly rainfall of 114.9 millimeters on Thursday — setting a local record. The Korea Meteorological Administration warned that heavy showers of up to 20 millimeters per hour could continue throughout Friday, possibly accompanied by strong gusts.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY MOON HEE-CHUL [[email protected]]