July 21, 2025
SEOUL – As South Korea reels from days of record-breaking rains that unleashed deadly floods and disrupted daily life across the country, the government launched sweeping recovery efforts Sunday, amid mounting casualties and ongoing rescue operations.
At least 16 people were confirmed dead and 10 remained missing as of 4 p.m. Sunday, according to fire authorities. Authorities warned that the toll could rise as search and rescue efforts continue in flood- and landslide-stricken areas.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has activated a pangovernmental recovery support headquarters to ensure a seamless transition from emergency response to recovery, starting Sunday.
“President Lee Jae Myung has instructed a swift assessment of the flood damage and the prompt designation of special disaster zones,” presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Sunday afternoon.
The designation of a special disaster zone allows the government to provide partial financial aid for the restoration of both private and public facilities damaged by heavy rains. Affected residents will also receive a range of financial support, including a reduction in public utility fees and deferred local tax payments.
Earlier in the day, Interior Minister Yoon Ho-jung said during an emergency headquarters meeting that the ministry would “recommend to the president that severely affected areas be designated as special disaster zones in accordance with support criteria and procedures, to ensure comprehensive assistance can be provided.”
According to the ministry, all available personnel and resources, ranging from relevant ministries and local governments to private-sector experts, would be mobilized to restore damaged infrastructure, support evacuees and provide disaster relief supplies in affected areas.
Yoon added that a prompt damage assessment would be launched to develop restoration plans for damaged facilities such as homes, commercial buildings and roads.
“The ministry and local governments need to ensure that the displaced residents staying in temporary shelters do not face any inconvenience by providing a sufficient amount of relief supplies and making their utmost effort in emergency restoration to help evacuees return to their normal lives as quickly as possible,” Yoon said.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok also dispatched Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung to respond to severe casualties caused by the downpour and landslides in Sancheong, located in the western area of South Gyeongsang Province.
The agricultural minister was tasked with promptly implementing recovery measures against the significant loss of life and property in Sancheong, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Saturday marked the first time in South Korea’s history that a single local government — Sancheong — ordered an evacuation of its entire jurisdiction due to heavy rains.
The district experienced the most intense rainfall of any area, with accumulated precipitation recording 793.5 millimeters and the rate of precipitation exceeding 100 mm per hour. The emergency evacuation order was issued for approximately 33,000 residents.
Fire authorities reported eight residents had been found dead in landslides, flooded houses and vehicular incidents as of 10 a.m. Sunday.
With many Sancheong-based villages experienced power outages and communication disruptions, as roads connecting the county to nearby cities were submerged, six people went missing in the downpour and landslides that began across the county on Saturday.
A deadly landslide in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, was one of many incidents reported amid widespread damage across the country, as torrential rain battered regions from Gyeonggi Province to South Gyeongsang Province.
At around 4:44 a.m., four residents were reportedly buried by a landslide in Gapyeong, in the northern part of Gyeonggi Province.
Fire officials rescued three residents, but they found a woman in her 70s dead in a collapsed guesthouse. Authorities also confirmed the death of a man in his 40s near a bridge in Daebo-ri, a village located in the central part of Gapyeong.
While the exact time and location of the incidents have not been confirmed, 10 residents were reported missing and out of contact with their families.
Gyeonggi Province Gov. Kim Dong-yeon has instructed local governments of Gyeonggi Province, including the county of Gapyeong, to make every effort to rescue people, recover from damages and support those affected by the disaster.
Though damage assessments are yet to be carried out as of press time, the governor stated that he will make the recommendation for some hard-hit areas to be designated as special disaster zones, considering casualties.
At least 14 people were killed as torrential rain hit multiple areas, including some areas in Gyeonggi Province, South Chungcheong Province and South Gyeongsang Province, from early Wednesday to Sunday, according to the emergency headquarters as of 11 a.m.
The emergency headquarters stated that 9,694 households — comprising 13,000 residents — from a total of 90 cities, counties and districts had been temporarily evacuated by 9 a.m. Sunday.
Train services restarted operations from Sunday morning, except for three lines, including those traveling from Seoul to Busan, Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, and Gwangju.
Though additional alerts for heavy rainfall had not been issued as of 10 a.m. Sunday, the emergency headquarters announced that additional rainfall could hit the Greater Seoul region and Gangwon Province.
