Heavy Rain Nationwide Until Weekend... Government Maintains "Emergency Response System"

Minister Sang-min Lee Checks Heavy Rain Response Status of Related Agencies
Strong Rain Nationwide Due to Weekend Convective Showers

As heavy rain is expected nationwide from the 20th through the weekend, the government has urged local governments and various agencies to maintain an emergency response system.

On this day, Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, held a meeting to check the heavy rain response status with the Ministries of National Defense, Interior and Safety, Culture, Sports and Tourism, Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Trade, Industry and Energy, Environment, Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Oceans and Fisheries, Police, Fire Services, Cultural Heritage Administration, Rural Development Administration, Korea Forest Service, Korea Meteorological Administration, Korea Coast Guard, and 17 metropolitan cities and provinces.

Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min held a meeting on the 20th to review the heavy rain response situation with major ministries and agencies.
[Photo by Ministry of the Interior and Safety]

At this meeting, the current weather status and forecasts were shared, and the heavy rain response status of each agency was inspected. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, from the 20th to the 22nd, 30 to 100 mm of rain is expected in the Seoul metropolitan area, 30 to 100 mm in inland Gangwon (100 to 200 mm in mountainous and East Coast areas), 30 to 100 mm in Chungcheong and Gyeongsang regions, 30 to 80 mm in Jeolla region, and 50 to 150 mm in Jeju. Some areas nationwide may receive more than 150 mm, and mountainous areas in Gangwon may see over 300 mm of rain, accompanied by strong winds.

In response, Minister Lee focused on inspecting agency-specific measures for the three major types of flood and wind damage: landslides threatening human lives, river disasters, and underground space flooding.

He especially instructed to maintain an emergency response system by holding situation assessment meetings upon hazardous weather forecasts, operating regional countermeasure headquarters, and establishing communication and cooperation systems with related agencies and community leaders such as village heads and neighborhood chiefs. He also ordered urgent inspections of vulnerable areas and facilities such as previously damaged regions, landslide-prone areas, and underground roadways. Additionally, he emphasized strengthening pre-control and monitoring of vulnerable areas and facilities, swiftly evacuating nearby residents when risks arise, and providing assistance to vulnerable groups.

Minister Lee stated, "The government will do its utmost to ensure safety centered on the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters to minimize casualties caused by this heavy rain," and urged, "Citizens are requested to check weather conditions through TV, radio, mobile applications, and the internet, and to exercise caution by avoiding access to dangerous areas such as mountain valleys, riverbanks, and lowlands."