Jeju and Southern Region Heavy Rain Warning Issued... Government Activates Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Level 1

Heavy Rain Response Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Level 1 Emergency Duty

As heavy rain warnings have been issued for Jeju and the southern regions, the government is activating the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH).

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 22nd that from 1:30 PM, CDSCH will operate at Level 1 and the heavy rain crisis alert level will be raised from 'Interest' to 'Caution.'

On the morning of the 21st, officials are watching the Han River watershed river site CCTV at the Han River Flood Control Office Situation Room in Seocho-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the stationary front located over the South Sea is gradually moving northward, expected to affect Jeju Island and the southern inland areas. From today until the 23rd, heavy rainfall is forecasted: 50-100mm in Jeju, 50-100mm in Gwangju and Jeonnam, 50-100mm near Busan, Ulsan, the southern coast of Gyeongnam, and around Jirisan, 30-80mm in Daegu and southern Gyeongbuk, and 30-80mm in inland Gyeongnam (excluding the Jirisan area).

Lee Sang-min, head of CDSCH (Minister of the Interior and Safety), urged continuous monitoring, preemptive control, and evacuation guidance in areas at risk of casualties such as coastal areas and mountain valleys where many leisure visitors gather during the weekend, as well as riverside campsites, to prevent loss of life from this heavy rain. He also emphasized that in preparation for landslides during vulnerable times, preemptive evacuation should be conducted during daylight hours in landslide-prone areas, and that disaster situations should be promptly communicated through disaster text messages and disaster alert facilities in case of emergencies.

Furthermore, he ordered strict enforcement of preemptive control according to control standards on flood-prone roads such as underground passages and low-lying roads, and requested support for rapid evacuation of vulnerable groups living in flood-prone areas by cooperating with private helpers such as autonomous disaster prevention groups.

The head of the headquarters stated, "As the full-scale rainy season begins and damage from heavy rainfall is expected, related agencies should prepare proactively," and urged, "Citizens are also asked to frequently check weather information for their area and refrain from approaching dangerous areas such as landslide-prone zones, riversides, and underground spaces in regions where warnings have been issued."