Deadly Downpour: 17 Dead, 11 Missing in South Korea After Days of Heavy Rain and Landslides
Heavy rains and landslides devastate southern regions, prompting emergency response and mass evacuations across the country.
- 17 people confirmed dead, 11 missing due to flooding and landslides
- Southern county Sancheong hit hardest with most casualties
- Over 13,000 residents displaced and widespread property damage reported
Severe monsoon rains have claimed at least 17 lives and left 11 others unaccounted for in South Korea, following four days of relentless downpours and deadly landslides, government officials reported on Sunday.
According to figures released by the Interior Ministry and National Fire Agency as of 6 p.m. local time, the southern county of Sancheong bore the brunt of the disaster, reporting 10 fatalities and 4 missing persons. Other casualties occurred in Osan, Gapyeong, Seosan, Dangjin, and the city of Gwangju.
Rescue operations remain active, especially in hard-hit areas like Sancheong, where emergency crews are still searching for the missing, possibly altering the final toll.
Since Wednesday, the country has been battered by torrential rain. Sancheong alone has received nearly 794 millimetres, while nearby counties like Hapcheon and Hadong also recorded extreme rainfall.
Gapyeong, located northeast of Seoul, saw 197.5 mm of rainfall on Sunday alone — the highest daily total in the nation.
So far, nearly 2,000 incidents of road flooding, landslides, and public infrastructure damage have been reported, along with over 2,200 cases of damage to homes, farms, and buildings. The extreme weather has also forced over 13,000 people into emergency shelters, and 62 domestic flights have been cancelled.
Although rain is expected to continue in some regions, authorities have downgraded the country’s emergency alert level as of Sunday evening.
President Lee Jae Myung has instructed government agencies to expedite the designation of the worst-affected areas as special disaster zones, allowing for swift relief efforts and state support for reconstruction and victim aid.
