Prime Minister Han Deok-su Holds Meeting to Review Heavy Rain Response Situation: "We Must Not Let Our Guard Down"

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo emphasized on the 21st, "This heavy rain is expected to reach a critical point in the next day or two, mainly in the southern regions," and urged, "Ensure that not a single life is lost."

On the same day, Prime Minister Han held a video conference on the heavy rain with related agencies such as the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Korea Meteorological Administration at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Seoul Situation Center.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is presiding over a meeting to review the heavy rain response situation at the Situation Room of the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 21st. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Prime Minister Han stressed the importance of thorough management of safety blind spots, including the pre-evacuation of residents in remote areas and restrictions on vehicle traffic in dangerous zones, and instructed to "actively utilize emergency disaster text messages in the event of extreme hazardous weather."

He then encouraged public officials who are working on emergency duty, asking them to "work more actively even if it is difficult to protect the lives and safety of the people."

Before the meeting, Prime Minister Han also called Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min and instructed, "Please expedite measures so that all residents in dangerous areas can evacuate to safe places while it is still daylight."

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, as of 6 p.m., 581 households and 903 people have evacuated from 31 cities, counties, and districts across 6 provinces nationwide due to the impact of this heavy rain.