Heavy Rain Bombards Central Region... CDSCH Raised to Level 2
Heavy Rain Crisis Alert Level Elevated to "Alert"
One Fatality from Retaining Wall Collapse
Ferry Services Suspended, Some Train Operations Halted, School Closures in South Chungcheong
Rain Forecast to Continue Until the 18th
After a prolonged heatwave, a deluge of rain struck the region.
As heavy rainfall led to the issuance of heavy rain warnings in central areas such as Chungcheong and Gyeonggi, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety elevated the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) from Level 1 to Level 2 at 4:00 a.m. on the 17th. The heavy rain crisis alert level was also raised from "Caution" to "Alert."
On this day, the CDSCH sent disaster alert text messages to areas experiencing concentrated rainfall, including Seosan, Dangjin, and Taean in South Chungcheong Province, urging residents to refrain from going out during the early morning hours and to avoid dangerous areas. The headquarters also requested that relevant ministries and local governments take immediate preemptive measures, such as controlling access and evacuating residents, if any signs of danger such as river flooding are detected.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, cumulative precipitation from midnight on the 16th to 5:00 a.m. on the 17th reached 307.0mm in Taean, 305.0mm in Seocheon, 264.5mm in Dangjin, and 249.6mm in Hongseong.
Seosan recorded a torrential downpour of 419.5mm.
The heavy rain has resulted in casualties, with one person dead and 116 people evacuated so far. At around 7:04 p.m. on the 16th, a retaining wall of an overpass at Gajang Intersection in Osan, Gyeonggi Province collapsed, crushing a car passing underneath and killing the driver. Landslide advisories were issued for Boryeong and Taean in South Chungcheong Province, while landslide warnings were issued for Buyeo and Seocheon in the same province.
On the 17th, when a heavy rain warning was issued throughout Seoul, office workers at the Yeouido Bus Transfer Center in Seoul tightly held their umbrellas as they headed to work. 2025.7.16. Photo by Kang Jinhyung
In five cities and counties in South Chungcheong Province, 116 people from 79 households were temporarily evacuated, and as of 5:00 a.m., 112 people from 75 households had not yet returned home. This included 7 people from 3 households in Boryeong, 8 people from 6 households in Seosan, 50 people from 30 households in Dangjin, 34 people from 28 households in Buyeo, and 13 people from 8 households in Seocheon. Authorities provided temporary shelter for 100 people from 66 households at community centers, senior centers, and schools.
As the heavy rain continued, transportation and facility controls increased. Passenger service was suspended on five ferry routes, including Mokpo-Hongdo and Jindo-Jukdo, affecting 10 vessels. Entry was prohibited to 248 sections in 10 national parks, including Bukhansan and Seoraksan.
Riverside parking lots at risk of flooding were also closed, covering a total of 90 areas: 29 in Seoul, 14 in Incheon, 7 in Daejeon, and 8 in Sejong.
Some train services were suspended as well. From 4:30 a.m., regular trains between Seoul Station and Daejeon Station on the Gyeongbu Line were temporarily halted. Regular train services were also suspended on the Cheonan-Iksan section of the Janghang Line and the Hongseong-Seohaeseong section of the Seohae Line. KTX trains continued to operate on all routes.
Due to flooding caused by the heavy rain, schools in South Chungcheong Province were ordered to close. The South Chungcheong Provincial Office of Education ordered all schools in five cities and counties?Dangjin, Seosan, Asan, Yesan, and Hongseong?to close. Some schools experienced flooding of their playgrounds up to adult ankle height, and access was restricted in areas where entry roads were submerged.
The rain is expected to continue until the 18th. In South Chungcheong and North Chungcheong provinces, very heavy rainfall of 50 to 80mm per hour is forecast through the afternoon of the 18th, while other regions are also expected to experience strong rain of around 30mm per hour around the same time.
As of 5:00 a.m., the CDSCH had deployed 13,089 personnel nationwide for emergency response in preparation for further rainfall.
Kim Minjae, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (and acting Minister of the Interior and Safety), said, "As more heavy rain is expected, the government will do its utmost to respond to the situation and minimize casualties."
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