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Rescues, warnings abound as massive rainfall floods North Jeolla

Published: 07 Sep. 2025, 15:33 Updated: 07 Sep. 2025, 18:12

A truck is partially submerged in a flood as heavy rain hits the North Jeolla region in Gunsan in the early morning on Sept. 7. [JEONBUK FIRE DEPARTMENT]

Torrential rain swept across North Jeolla overnight, flooding 225 homes, shops and roads, and halting train operations between Iksan and Jeonju on the Jeolla Line for four hours. The heaviest damage was concentrated in Gunsan, where a record-breaking downpour hit parts of the city.

At 12:57 a.m. on Sunday, extreme rainfall of 152.2 millimeters (6 inches) per hour was recorded in Naeheung-dong, Gunsan — the strongest single-hour downpour seen anywhere in Korea this year. It also broke the hourly rainfall record for Gunsan since weather data was first collected in the city in 1968. The previous record was 131.7 millimeters (5.2 inches), set on July 10 last year.

As of 1:12 p.m. Sunday, the Jeonbuk Fire Department had received 350 damage reports, including 82 related to drainage support. These included 64 cases of flooded homes, 55 flooded buildings, 38 flooded roads, four landslides and 14 tree removals. Iksan had the most reports at 111, followed by Gunsan with 109, Jeonju with 58 and Gimje with 38.

More than 280 millimeters of rain had fallen on Gunsan by Sunday, submerging roads across the city, including in Naun-dong, Munhwa-dong and Sanbuk-dong. Buildings and vehicles were also inundated. In Munhwa-dong, water flooded the mechanical room of an apartment building, and firefighters had to deploy large water pumps to remove the water. At 1:17 a.m., roads near Miseong Elementary School in Gunsan were closed due to severe flooding.

A firefighter is dispatched to a distress report in Gunsan, North Jeolla, as heavy rain hit the region in the early morning on Sept. 7. [JEONBUK FIRE DEPARTMENT]

A road is blocked due to a landslide in Seosu-myeon, Gunsan, North Jeolla, on Sept. 7 after heavy that hit the region. [GUNSAN CITY]

Gunsan goes into emergency mode

At around 2 a.m., flooding struck parts of Songpung-dong in Gunsan and six residents evacuated with help from first responders. Gunsan initiated an all-hands emergency response from midnight Sunday, assisting with debris removal and drainage efforts. Mayor Kang Im-june visited affected areas, checking on temporary shelters and emergency relief supplies.

Flooding also struck Jeonju and Wanju. At 6:34 a.m., authorities received a report that two people were trapped on the second floor of a flooded home in Saekjang-dong, Jeonju. Firefighters rescued both individuals. At 8:08 a.m., Jeonju sent out an emergency alert urging residents of the Jingideul neighborhood in Songcheon 2-dong to evacuate to shelters such as Yongso Middle School.

In Gimje, telecommunications in five towns were briefly cut off but were later restored. In Seosu-myeon, Gunsan, a road embankment collapsed. A total of 99 residents from 72 households in Jeonju, Gunsan, Iksan and Gimje evacuated due to landslide risk. Vinyl greenhouses and crops were flooded in Makseong-myeon, Iksan.

A firefighter is dispatched to a distress report from Gunsan, North Jeolla, as heavy rain hit the region in the early morning on Sept. 7. [JEONBUK FIRE DEPARTMENT]

Train service halted for four hours

Heavy rainfall also disrupted train operations. Service between Iksan and Jeonju on the Jeolla Line was suspended from 6:25 a.m. after tracks between Dongsan Station and Jeonju Station became submerged. Operations resumed at 10:14 a.m. after drainage work was completed.

The North Jeolla provincial government activated its Level 3 disaster response at 2 a.m. Sunday. Gov. Kim Kwan-young convened a briefing with provincial officials and mayors from all 14 cities and counties to review the situation and reinforce safety protocols. The response was lowered to Level 2 at around 7:30 a.m. as the rain started to subside, and all warnings were lifted as of 1:12 p.m.

Landslide and flood warnings expand

According to the Jeonju Meteorological Administration, total rainfall between Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday reached 288.6 millimeters in Gunsan, 239.3 millimeters in Iksan, 182.1 millimeters in Jeonju, 208.5 millimeters in Kimje, 190 millimeters in Buan, 159.3 millimeters in Wanju and 146.5 millimeters in Jinan.

The Naun-dong neighborhood of Gunsan in North Jeolla is seen flooded on the night of Sept. 6 as heavy rain hit the North Jeolla region. [NEWS1]

The Naun-dong neighborhood of Gunsan in North Jeolla is seen flooded on Sept. 7 as heavy rain hit the North Jeolla region. [YONHAP]

The Korea Forest Service issued landslide warnings for Iksan and Wanju and advisories for nine cities and counties: Jeonju, Gunsan, Gimje, Jeongeup, Buan, Jinan, Imsil, Muju and Iksan.

The Yeongsan River Flood Control Office issued flood alerts from 4:10 a.m. for multiple areas along the Mankyeong River, including the Misan Bridge area of Jeonju Stream in Jeonju, Soyang Stream Bridge No. 2 in Wanju, Yongbong and Samrye bridges in Wanju and Seocheon Bridge in Jeonju.

“The top priority now is the safety and lives of residents,” said Gov. Kim, stressing strict access controls in high-risk areas and pre-emptive evacuations for vulnerable residents to avoid casualties.

Not quite over

The record-setting rainfall was caused by a band of precipitation that stalled over South Chungcheong and North Jeolla provinces after moving in from the Yellow Sea. The ongoing clash between dry northern air and warm, moist southern air continued feeding rain clouds over the southern region, with heavy rain expected to persist through the afternoon.

“Due to the slow-moving rain clouds, some areas in the Jeolla region may experience very heavy rain of 30 to 50 millimeters per hour, accompanied by strong gusts, thunder and lightning,” said a Korea Meteorological Administration official, urging the public to remain alert for landslides and flooding.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM JUN-HEE, CHON KWON-PIL [[email protected]]