Damage Reported at 166 Schools Nationwide Due to Leaks and Flooding
Academic Schedules Adjusted at 482 Schools, Including Closures and Shortened Classes
Due to the heavy rain that began on the 16th, flooding at schools occurred across the country, preventing students at 403 kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools from attending classes on the 17th. In particular, all schools in Asan, Seosan, Yesan, and Hongseong in South Chungcheong Province, where the damage was concentrated, were closed.
Cheonggyecheon is closed on the 17th due to heavy rain mainly in the metropolitan and central regions. 2025.07.17 Photo by Dongju Yoon
According to the Ministry of Education, as of 9:30 a.m. on this day, facility damage was reported at 166 schools nationwide. Of these, 122 schools experienced water leaks, 28 schools were flooded, and 16 schools suffered damage such as broken pavement blocks or detached finishing materials. There were no casualties.
The majority of the damage was concentrated in schools located in South Chungcheong Province, totaling 112 schools. Among these, 78 experienced water leaks and 24 were flooded.
As a result of this heavy rain, 482 schools nationwide either suspended classes or shortened their school hours. Specifically, 403 schools closed, 55 schools held shortened classes, 23 schools adjusted their start times, and 1 school conducted remote classes.
In Asan (155 schools), Seosan (95 schools), Yesan (69 schools), and Hongseong (68 schools) in South Chungcheong Province, where torrential rain fell, all schools were closed.
The Ministry of Education formed a dedicated situation management team and entered an emergency work system, deciding to continue monitoring the damage situation. The Office of Education and the Korea Institute of Educational Facility Safety inspected the facilities on site and decided to work on preventing secondary facility damage.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety raised the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) response level from Level 1 to Level 2 at 4 a.m. on the 17th. The heavy rain crisis alert level was also raised from "caution" to "alert."
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, cumulative rainfall from midnight on the 16th to 5 a.m. on the 17th reached 307.0 mm in Taean, 305.0 mm in Seocheon, 264.5 mm in Dangjin, and 249.6 mm in Hongseong.
Seosan recorded a torrential downpour of 419.5 mm.
This heavy rain also resulted in casualties in Osan, Gyeonggi Province. A retaining wall at a major intersection collapsed, burying a vehicle and killing the driver. In Jujeong-ri, Daechi-myeon, Cheongyang-gun, a landslide occurred at around 9:34 a.m. that day, and two residents who were buried were rescued.
Transportation and facilities were also restricted. Ten passenger ships on five routes, including Mokpo~Hongdo and Jindo~Jukdo, were grounded, and access to 248 sections of 10 national parks, including Bukhansan and Seoraksan, was prohibited.
Due to the risk of flooding, a total of 90 riverside parking lots were closed: 29 in Seoul, 14 in Incheon, 7 in Daejeon, and 8 in Sejong.
Some train operations were also suspended. From 4:30 a.m. on this day, regular trains between Seoul Station and Daejeon Station on the Gyeongbu Line were temporarily halted. Regular train service between Cheonan Station and Iksan Station on the Janghang Line, and between Hongseong Station and Seohwaseong Station on the Seohae Line, was also temporarily suspended. KTX trains continued to operate on all routes.
The rain is expected to continue until the 18th. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast that in South Chungcheong and North Chungcheong provinces, very heavy rain of 50 to 80 mm per hour would fall until the afternoon of the 18th, and other regions would also see heavy rain of around 30 mm per hour around the 18th.
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