Namhae-gun Prepares for Heavy Rain Disaster... Continuous Inspection of Areas at Risk of Casualties

Precautionary Evacuation of 71 Households and 89 Residents in Vulnerable Areas

Underground Parking Lot Site Inspection, Partial Control of Major Tourist Attractions

Namhae County in Gyeongnam is making all-out efforts to prepare for disasters caused by heavy rain by cooperating not only with all county office employees but also with related organizations and various private groups.

Since the 15th until the 18th (as of 8 a.m.), Namhae County has experienced heavy rain exceeding 200mm, and a heavy rain warning remains in effect.

Jang Chung-nam, Governor of Namhae County, Gyeongnam, is inspecting the underground parking lot.

Various damages such as road flooding due to landslide runoff and poor drainage have occurred, and 24-hour emergency restoration and inspections of areas at risk of damage are underway.

At 9 p.m. on the 17th, under a special directive from the county governor, a full preemptive evacuation was carried out for residents (71 households, 89 people) living in vulnerable areas at risk of landslides and retaining wall collapse. Evacuated residents were dispersed and accommodated in village halls and the homes of relatives and acquaintances.

Currently, the road section from Honghyeon to Darangi Village 2nd Parking Lot (3 km) in Nam-myeon is closed, and the Bongcheon Ecological Stream walking trail in Namhae-eup is also restricted from access. Dugok and Wolpo beaches are closed, and Sangju Beach has been restricted from entry.

So far, the damage in Namhae County has been recorded as 17 cases of soil erosion and 3 cases of poor drainage in public facilities.

On the 17th, Namhae County held an emergency countermeasure meeting attended by all department heads and town/myeon chiefs, along with related organizations such as Namhae Police Station, Fire Station, and the 2nd Battalion of the 8962nd Unit, to review the response to the heavy rain.

At the meeting, County Governor Jang Chung-nam emphasized, “During emergency duty, employees should not only compile damage reports in the office but also conduct patrols in towns and myeons to do their utmost to protect the safety and property of residents by evacuating people from dangerous areas.”

Additionally, a constant communication system will be maintained with Namhae Police Station, Fire Station, and the 2nd Battalion of the 8962nd Unit, and all available personnel will be mobilized for rapid recovery in case of damage.

Governor Jang had originally planned a 5-night, 6-day visit to Mongolia from the 16th to the 21st but abruptly canceled the trip.

Governor Jang had planned to visit Erden and Bornor counties in Mongolia to sign a memorandum of understanding for the introduction of seasonal workers and to secure distribution channels for exporting local specialties. However, due to the nationwide extreme heavy rain causing continuous damage and the expectation of heavy rain in Namhae County, he urgently canceled the overseas trip to lead the disaster preparedness emergency response.

On the 17th, Governor Jang visited landslide and road flooding sites in Sangju, Samdong, Nam-myeon, and Seo-myeon to inspect emergency restoration efforts and instructed follow-up measures for fundamental solutions.

On the 18th, he personally visited the underground parking lot of Namhae Public Terminal and about ten other apartment and public facility underground parking lots in the area to check drainage conditions and accident prevention manuals.

Namhae County will continuously inspect 16 of the 93 landslide-prone areas where human casualties are feared, and will keep monitoring 12 areas at risk of casualties, disaster-prone construction sites, village reservoirs, and slopes by town and myeon.

Governor Jang said, “Together with all county office employees, related organizations, and private groups such as the Autonomous Disaster Prevention Corps, we will do our best for preemptive damage prevention inspections and emergency restoration,” and added, “We ask all residents to pay close attention to emergency disaster messages and village broadcasts, and to evacuate immediately and follow the instructions of administrative related organizations when dangerous situations occur.”