'Mega Water Bomb' Disrupts Commute...Subways Halted and Roads Partially Closed

Heavy Rain the Night Before Expected to Cause Commute Disruptions on the Morning of the 9th
Seoul Roads Including Olympic-daero and Jamsugyo Bridge Partially Closed
Subway Line 9 Express Train Service Suspended
Ministry of the Interior Requests Public Institutions to Adjust Work Hours...Private Companies Advised

On the night of the 8th, officials near Bongeunsa Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, urgently installed flood barriers at the COEX entrance as nearby roads began to flood.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] As record-breaking heavy rain continues in the central region including the Seoul metropolitan area, damage has been reported with roads and subway operations being suspended in various parts of Seoul. On the morning of the 9th, subway operations were halted and several roads were closed due to ongoing rain and unrepaired flood damage, causing expected inconvenience during the morning commute.

As of 7 a.m. that day, heavy rain was pouring at a rate of 30 to 50 mm per hour in various parts of the central region.

In the metropolitan area, heavy rain of around 40 mm per hour is falling in the southern Gyeonggi areas such as Yangpyeong, Anseong, and Pyeongtaek, while other regions are experiencing rain at about 5 to 10 mm per hour. In central and southern Gangwon Province, rain accompanied by gusts, thunder, and lightning is falling at 30 to 50 mm per hour, and in Dangjin, Chungcheong Province, strong rain is falling at 10 to 40 mm per hour.

Seoul Subway Line 9, where some stations were flooded the previous day, suspended express train operations on the morning of the 9th. According to the Seoul Transportation Information System (TOPIS), only regular trains are operating on Line 9 due to flood recovery work on some station tracks. Also, only the sections between Gaehwa Station and Noryangjin Station, and between Sinnonhyeon Station and Central Veterans Hospital Station will be in operation, while the section between Nodeul Station and Sapyeong Station will not operate.

However, subway Lines 1 through 8 are operating normally. Stations that suffered flood damage from rainwater entering the premises the previous day, such as Sindebang Station on Line 2 and Isu Station on Line 7, are reported to have completed restoration.

Due to heavy rain on the 8th in the central region, Seoul Subway Line 7 Isu Station was flooded with water. Photo by Yonhap News Agency (provided by a reader)

Due to road flooding, vehicle traffic is being restricted on many roads throughout Seoul. On general roads, two-way traffic is blocked at locations including ▲Eonju-ro Gaepo Underpass ▲Yangjae-daero under Yangjae Bridge ▲Nodul-ro from Yeoui upstream to Hangang Bridge. On urban expressways, two-way traffic is blocked at ▲Banpo-daero Jamsu Bridge ▲Olympic-daero from Yeoui downstream to Yeoui upstream ▲Olympic-daero from Yeomchang IC to Dongjak Bridge ▲Dongbu Expressway from Seongsu Junction to Gunja Bridge ▲Naebu Circular Road from Seongdong to Majang.

Most public institutions adjusted their start times to 11 a.m. that day. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety requested all levels of public institutions to adjust their working hours due to concerns over severe traffic congestion caused by flood damage.

Additionally, private companies were also advised to adjust their start times. Lee Sang-min, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said, "We ask private companies to actively consider adjusting their start times to prevent additional damage caused by heavy rain," and urged, "Citizens should check with their affiliated institutions about any changes to start times before heading out for their commute."