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Five missing after morning floods sweep through Gyeonggi

Published: 20 Jul. 2025, 13:37

The Daebo Bridge in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi, flooded on July 20 as shown in surveillance footage [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Five residents were reported missing after being swept away by torrents of water in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi, following heavy downpours early Sunday morning.

According to the Gyeonggi-do Fire & Disaster Headquarters and police, 80-year-old resident Lee was swept away around 4:30 a.m. in Daebo 1-ri, Jojong-myeon, Gapyeong County. Lee became stranded while evacuating in a vehicle with family members after an evacuation order was issued due to the overflowing Daebo Bridge. Lee failed to escape the rising waters, but the family members were able to evacuate safely.

Authorities later confirmed four additional missing people — two from Jojong-myeon and one each from Sang-myeon and Buk-myeon — bringing the total number of missing people in Gapyeong to five. Police and fire authorities are continuing search-and-rescue operations, but efforts have been hampered by floodwaters made worse by the heavy rain.

A flood warning was issued for the area surrounding Daebo Bridge on Jojong Stream at 2:40 a.m. Sunday. Water levels surpassed 6.4 meters (21 feet) — a critical threshold — at 3:20 a.m., eventually rising to 9.2 meters and causing the stream to overflow.

Gapyeong County immediately issued evacuation orders and relocated residents of 15 households near the bridge to a greenhouse on higher ground.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Jojong-myeon saw torrential rainfall of 76 millimeters (3 inches) per hour around 3:30 a.m. The area’s cumulative rainfall reached 197.5 millimeters as of 9:30 a.m. Heavy rain advisories for the region have since been lifted.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]