Heavy rains lead to casulties, cause damage across South Korea

We start on the national front with news of the torrential rain across the country.

I have our Byeon Ye-young standing by live on the line with the latest.

Now Ye-young, I hear there have been a number of fatalities?

Yes, Sunny.

The ongoing heavy rainfall has already turned deadly.

This morning, a man in his 50s was found dead inside a submerged vehicle in Seosan City, Chungcheongnam-do Province.

He was discovered in a state of cardiac arrest and was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Another man in his 80s was found dead from drowning nearby, and one person also died in Dangjin city.

In Gyeonggi-do Province, a 40-year-old man was killed yesterday when a 10-meter retaining wall collapsed in Osan City due to the rain.

In total, over 110 people have been temporarily evacuated, mostly in the Chungcheong-do provinces and southern parts of Gyeonggi-do Province, where the rainfall has been at its heaviest.

According to the Ministry of Education, over 400 schools have suspended classes due to heavy rain, with most closures concentrated in cities of Seosan, Dangjin, Asan, and Yesan, as well as Hongseong-gun County in Chungcheongnam-do Province, where every school in every district has closed.

Facility damage has been reported at 166 schools, including leaking, flooding, and structural damage, though thankfully, no injuries have been reported.

Authorities are urging residents in low-lying areas and landslide-prone regions, especially across the Chungcheong-do and Jeolla-do provinces, to remain on high alert.

And Ye-young, which areas are bearing the brunt of the downpour as we speak?

That's right.

The heaviest rainfall overnight was concentrated in Chungcheongnam-do Province, particularly Seosan City and Hongseong-gun County.

In Seosan, over 110 millimeters of rain fell in just one hour, which is the highest on record there for July.

By 5 AM, total rainfall in Seosan reached 339 millimeters, and that figure rose to over 420 when including yesterday's totals.

In Gongju City, about 40 residents were urgently evacuated after parts of their village were submerged.

Additionally, Gwangju City and surrounding parts of Jeollanam-do Province are also now under expanded heavy rain alerts, with a flood warning being issued for Yongsan Bridge in Gwangju.

In Seoul, a flood advisory was issued for the Dorimcheon River near Shindaebang Station, and access to several streams is under control due to concerns of overflow.

Traffic is also being controlled around low-lying areas, and authorities are monitoring major bridges and underpasses.

Train services have been affected as well.

Korea Railroad suspended general train operations on parts of several lines around 6 AM due to heavy rain.

Do tell us a bit about the measures taken by the government in response to the rampant rain.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters held an emergency meeting earlier on Thursday and issued a Level 3 response, the most severe stage, later in the day.

The flood and storm disaster alert had been raised to "Serious" level.

Emergency personnel are on high alert, with disaster situation rooms in full operation.

Fire departments are increasing their 119 call center capacities, and authorities are jointly managing real-time updates across agencies.

A landslide warning has also been raised to the second-highest level in major southern cities, including Gwangju, Daegu, and Busan, with the risk now categorized as "serious" in parts of Daejeon, Sejong, and the Chungcheong-do provinces.

Interior Ministry officials have said the top priority is minimizing casualties, as up to 300 millimeters more could fall in the coming days.

That's all I have for now. Back to you, Sunny.

All right Ye-young, thank you for that coverage.

And do keep us posted.