Heavy Rain Advisory Issued Again Before Recovery Is Complete... Gyeongnam Province Mobilizes All-Out Response

While recovery efforts from last month's heavy rainfall are still underway in the Gyeongnam region, another round of significant rain has been forecast, prompting the Gyeongnam Provincial Government to mobilize an all-out response.

On August 3, the provincial government announced that it had elevated its Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters from the initial response stage, which was issued at 9:00 a.m., to Emergency Level 2 as of 9:00 p.m. The province is working together with cities and counties to minimize casualties and property damage.

Gyeongnam Provincial Government. Provided by Gyeongnam Province

As of 9:00 p.m. on August 3, a heavy rain advisory was in effect for 12 cities and counties within Gyeongnam. An average of 17mm of rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning, had fallen across the province, with rainfall in some areas exceeding 7mm.

The province has strengthened controls over landslide-affected areas and locations at risk of casualties, as well as disaster-prone facilities, including Sancheong and Hapcheon, which suffered severe damage from the previous heavy rains.

The government also promoted public advisories to avoid entering high-risk areas such as walking trails, riverside parking lots, Sewolgyo bridges, underpasses, and other roads susceptible to flooding.

As of 8:20 p.m., access had been completely restricted at a total of 27 locations across the province, including 9 Sewolgyo bridges, 6 roads and parking lots, 9 riverside walking trails, 1 underpass, and 2 other sites.

As of 9:00 p.m., a total of 756 residents from 543 households in Jinju City, Uiryeong County, and Sancheong County had completed evacuation to community centers, senior centers, welfare centers, schools, and other facilities.

The Gyeongnam Provincial Government plans to prioritize safety by swiftly expanding restricted areas and increasing resident evacuations in response to additional rainfall and rising river levels.

A provincial official stated, "With the ground already weakened by the heavy rains in July, further rainfall could lead to greater damage. We urge residents to regularly check weather updates and local government announcements, avoid entering restricted areas, and cooperate promptly with evacuation requests."