About 30 Minutes Later Than Usual... Roads at a Standstill
Some Companies in Gangnam Yeoksam and Yeouido Implement Work-from-Home Policy
[Asia Economy Reporters Yoo Byung-don and Jang Se-hee] Due to record-breaking heavy rain in 80 years that flooded various parts of Seoul, abandoned cars were left on the roads on the 9th. Some roads and subway lines experienced disruptions in normal operations, causing inconvenience for commuters.
The previous evening, record rainfall caused water to rise waist-high in many areas. In the Gangnam area, cars submerged by the overnight downpour were tangled and stalled, leading to traffic congestion.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government's traffic information system on the 9th, as of 8:40 a.m., express trains on Line 9 are not operating due to track flooding recovery work at some stations. Regular trains are only running between Gaehwa Station and Noryangjin Station, and between Sinnonhyeon Station and Central Veterans Hospital Station, while the section between Nodeul Station and Sapyeong Station is not in service. Due to the high water level of the Han River, both directions of the Jamsu Bridge remain closed to vehicles and pedestrians.
Among urban expressways, the Gyeongbu Expressway from Seocho to Yangjae, Olympic-daero from Yeoui downstream to Yeoui upstream in both directions, Gangbyeonbuk-ro from Mapo Bridge to Hangang Bridge, and the internal circulation road ramp towards Seongsu JC (Wolgok entrance) are also closed.
About 30 Minutes Later Than Usual... Roads at a Standstill
Following the 'desperate escape' during the previous evening's rush hour, confusion continued on the morning commute.
Choi (40), who commutes to Gangnam Station, said, "Around 8:10 a.m., I saw about ten abandoned vehicles scattered around," adding, "My commute was about 30 minutes later than usual." He continued, "I took detours here and there to get to work, but thinking about those affected makes me feel heartbroken."
Yang (34), who commutes from Uijeongbu to Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, said, "The road is completely jammed with cars heading to Jangpyeonggyo," adding, "A snail would probably be faster."
Office worker Kim (40) said, "I have to get from Suwon to Gangnam Station, but the interval between express buses is about 10 minutes longer than usual," adding, "Some subway stations are flooded, so I'm worried about my commute."
Some companies in the Gyeonggi area decided to suspend shuttle bus operations between Seoul and their workplaces for the day. Son (31), an employee at a game company in Pangyo, said, "I received a text message saying shuttle bus service is suspended due to road conditions," adding, "There hasn't been any notice about switching to remote work yet, so I set out for work, but I feel helpless."
On the morning of the 9th, photos of vehicle flooding damage and commuting difficulties in Gangnam, Seocho, and other parts of Seoul were posted in real-time on social media and online communities.
Some people worked remotely due to the record rainfall. Jung (34), who works at a large company in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, said, "A remote work directive was issued around 10 p.m. the previous day," adding, "I was worried about commuting, so I'm very relieved to work from home." Lee (26), who works in Yeouido, said, "A remote work policy for all employees was announced around 11 p.m. the previous day," adding, "If we had been told to work normally, I would have had to leave home by 6 a.m."
Due to the muddy water flooding indoors from the previous day's heavy rain, some businesses could not open in the morning. An employee at a caf? in Ogeum-dong, Songpa-gu, said, "We usually start business at 7:30 a.m., but we had to spend the entire morning cleaning the store."
Heavy Rain Concentrated in Gangnam Area... Hundreds of Vehicles Submerged Causing 'Chaos'
Earlier, in Sindaebang-dong, Dongjak-gu (Korea Meteorological Administration), 141.5 mm of rain fell in one hour until 9:05 p.m. the previous day, with hourly rainfall exceeding 100 mm mainly in southern Seoul. This surpassed Seoul's previous record hourly rainfall of 118.6 mm (August 5, 1942) for the first time in 80 years. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, as of 6 a.m. on the 9th, rainfall in the central region was 421.0 mm in Seoul, 392.0 mm in Okcheon (Yangpyeong), 385.5 mm in Sanbuk (Yeoju), and 385.5 mm in Gyeonggi Gwangju.
As a result, various incidents and accidents caused by flooding occurred throughout the metropolitan area. Water leakage occurred at Samsung Station, Sadang Station, Seolleung Station on Line 2, Daechi Station on Line 3, Sangdo Station, Isu Station, and Gwangmyeong Sageori Station on Line 7. Line 9's Dongjak Station was closed due to flooding, and southbound service at Yeongdeungpo Station on Line 1 was completely suspended.
As rain concentrated in the Gangnam area around 8 p.m., hundreds of vehicles were submerged on the roads, causing chaos. Around 8 p.m., rainwater rose more than 30 cm on the lanes near Gangnam Station on Line 2, overflowing onto sidewalks, and rainwater backflowed from a manhole near the Shinbundang Line.
Many underground shopping areas near Gangnam Station and Express Bus Terminal Station were flooded, and some stores in COEX Mall in Samseong-dong and Pamier Station in Banpo-dong were submerged.
Seven Deaths Due to Heavy Rain... Police Directly Responded to Fire Amid Response Gaps the Previous Day
There were also casualties due to the heavy rain. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters reported that as of 6 a.m. on the 9th, there were 7 deaths (5 in Seoul, 2 in Gyeonggi), 6 missing persons (4 in Seoul, 2 in Gyeonggi), and 9 injured (Gyeonggi).
According to the fire department and Gangnam Police Station, there were no casualties in the heavily flooded Gangnam area. In Dongjak-gu, Seoul, a 60-year-old district office worker died from electrocution while clearing fallen street trees caused by the heavy rain around 6:50 p.m. the previous day. In Gwanak-gu, three people trapped in a semi-basement due to flooding reported at 9:07 p.m. were eventually found dead.
In Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, one person was found dead under debris from a collapsed bus stop, and another died buried by a landslide on a road embankment. Missing persons include four in Seoul, such as in the underground shopping passage in Seocho-gu, and two in Gwangju, Gyeonggi, swept away by floodwaters from river overflow.
Meanwhile, as damage concentrated in the Gangnam area of Seoul the previous day, fire response in other areas was difficult. According to the fire department and Gwangjin Police Station, a fire broke out at a newly constructed building in Gayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu around 10:30 p.m. the previous day, but due to a shortage of firefighting personnel, police officers directly responded to extinguish the fire.
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