Southeastern Korea hit by nearly 800 mm of rain, floods and landslides

1 dead, 2 injured as landslides hit Geoje amid torrential rain

After weeks of drought, torrential rain has triggered flooding and landslides across southeastern South Korea, with nearly 800 millimeters falling in parts of South Gyeongsang Province since Saturday.

At least one person was killed, two others suffered minor injuries, and hundreds of residents were evacuated as roads flooded and landslides disrupted transportation.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Geoje received 782.5 mm of rain from midnight Saturday through 6 a.m. Monday, while nearby Tongyeong recorded 628.9 mm. Sacheon and Namhae received 318 mm and 231.3 mm, respectively.

Another 80 to 150 mm of rain was forecast for Monday. Heavy rain warnings were in effect for Geoje, Tongyeong, Sacheon, Namhae and Goseong, while advisories were issued for Gimhae, Yangsan and Changwon.

Residents endured a night of repeated emergency alerts as floodwaters rose across low-lying areas, with images and videos of submerged roads and neighborhoods circulating on social media.

"Overnight, I heard the loud emergency alert three times on my phone. Every time I was about to fall asleep, another alert came, warning of heavy rain and advising evacuation," said a Geoje resident surnamed Jeong, in his 50s.

"It was still raining heavily this morning, and I heard that low-lying areas were flooded and in chaos."

The National Fire Agency said one person was killed, and two others suffered minor injuries after a landslide engulfed the first floor of an apartment building in Okpo-dong, Geoje, at around 4:32 a.m.

In Tongyeong, one person was rescued after being buried by a landslide at around 5:05 a.m. Multiple landslides also blocked major roads, including National Route 33 in Goseong.

Flooding in some coastal areas was worsened by high tide.

Public transportation was suspended in parts of Geoje due to flooding and landslides, prompting major local employers including Hanwha Ocean and Samsung Heavy Industries to allow employees to stay home.

Authorities also received more than 20 reports of people being isolated by flooding or landslides.

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook called on police, firefighters and other safety authorities to use all available resources to rescue residents and assist evacuees.

"Please make every effort to provide emergency support so that evacuees face no inconvenience, including by operating temporary shelters," Han said.

The prime minister also instructed officials to maintain emergency preparedness and ensure the safety of rescue workers at disaster sites.

The deluge marks a dramatic reversal for a region that had been struggling with severe drought only days earlier.

From July 1 through Aug. 15, South Gyeongsang Province received just 141.8 mm of rain, or 19 percent of the average for the period. The prolonged dry spell affected about 5,700 households and roughly 2,100 hectares of farmland, including fields where crops had withered.