Vice Minister Keum Hanseung Responds to Heavy Rain: "Full Effort on River Level Monitoring and Proactive Dam Operation"

The Ministry of Environment announced that on the morning of July 17, Vice Minister Keum Hanseung presided over an emergency situation assessment meeting with related agencies for flood response at the Han River Flood Control Center in Seoul.

During the meeting, the participants reviewed the key flood response measures and plans of each agency to respond to the heavy rainfall that fell mainly in the metropolitan area and Chungcheong region overnight.

Starting from the afternoon of the previous day, torrential rain of up to 419mm was recorded, especially in the Chungnam region, including Seosan, Dangjin, Taean, and Yesan. As of 9 a.m. on this day, the Ministry of Environment issued 26 flood advisories and warnings, including 9 flood warnings (1 for the Han River, 8 for the Geum River) and 17 flood advisories (1 for the Han River, 16 for the Geum River). The ministry also provided 300 pieces of flood information, including 22 at the critical stage (1 for the Han River, 21 for the Geum River).

In addition, flood advisories and flood information are being disseminated to local government officials and deputy heads through various communication systems and the disaster safety communication network to ensure residents can be evacuated if necessary.

Cheonggyecheon is closed on the 17th due to heavy rain mainly in the metropolitan and central regions. 2025.07.17 Photo by Yoon Dongju

The Ministry of Environment stated that, following the activation of Level 2 of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, the crisis alert level has been raised to 'alert.' The ministry and its affiliated and subordinate organizations are maintaining and responding with emergency work shifts to address the heavy rainfall.

Currently, the 20 multi-purpose dams managed by the Ministry of Environment have secured a flood control capacity of 6.55 billion tons, which is enough to store an average of 408mm of rainfall.

Meanwhile, the agricultural reservoir 'Yedang Reservoir' reached full capacity at 7 a.m. on this day due to continued rainfall, and is now releasing water within a limited range after the evacuation of residents.

Vice Minister Keum stated, "We will do our utmost to ensure safety measures, such as double-checking the evacuation status of residents, to prevent downstream damage caused by the discharge from Yedang Reservoir (an agricultural reservoir). Since heavy rain is expected to continue after today, we will make every effort to prevent flood damage by monitoring river water levels and proactively operating dams."