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2023 South Korea floods

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2023 South Korea floods

Date 8 June 2023 – present

(1 month, 1 week and 4 days ago)

Location South Korea

Cause Heavy rain

Landslide

Deaths 41

Missing 9

Heavy rainfall during the 2023 East Asian rainy season resulted in severe flooding and landslides across
South Korea, primarily affecting residents in the provinces of North Chungcheong and North
Gyeongsang. At least 41 people were killed, and nine are missing.[1][2]

Background

The South Korean monsoon season usually begins in June and ends in the beginning of August. The
country normally experiences heavy monsoon rains and its mountainous topography increases its
vulnerability to landslides; however, the reported casualties this season are higher than usual.[3]

Flooding expert Cheong Tae Sung of South Korea's National Disaster Management Research Institute
said that the fact that the rains occurred in the rural parts of the country, which are harder to monitor
and reach, could be a reason for the higher death toll. He additionally stated that climate change was a
possible cause, as rain in South Korea has been coming in more intense bursts rather than spread out
over a longer period of time due to warming, making it harder to prepare for floods.[3]

Impact

Many people were injured when torrential rains caused landslides and the overflow of a dam in North
Chungcheong, and prompting the evacuation of over 6,500 homes and over 10,500 people nationwide.
[2] On 17 July, the Yonhap News Agency reported that 628 public facilities and 317 private properties
were damaged by the heavy rain.[4] According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, over 26,900
hectares (66,000 acres) of farmland were damaged or flooded and 579,000 livestock were killed.[1]
Several cultural heritage sites were also damaged, including Gongsanseong Fortress and Mungyeong
Saejae.[5]

Nineteen people were killed in North Gyeongsang and four others were killed in the South Chungcheong
Province.[1]

Gungpyeong 2nd Underpass incident

In Cheongju, 14 people were killed when their vehicles became trapped in the Gungpyeong No. 2
Underpass after the banks of Miho River broke on 15 July.[6][7] Fire officials estimated that the tunnel
had been filled with water in two to three minutes, trapping 15 vehicles in the underpass.[6][7] Nine
hundred rescuers, including divers, are involved in the tunnel search.[6]

A flood warning had been issued four hours before the accident, leading some to criticize the local
authorities and the provincial government for not closing the tunnel.[7]

Government response

The incumbent prime minister Han Duck-soo called for the deployment of the Republic of Korea Armed
Forces to conduct search and rescue operations due to the disruption of rail services in South Korea.[8]
The incumbent president Yoon Suk Yeol pointed to climate change as a possible cause, stating that "this
kind of extreme weather event will become commonplace … we must accept climate change is
happening, and deal with it."[6]

On 17 July, Yoon Suk Yeol visited North Gyeongsang.[9] On the same day, his government launched an
audit looking into the handling of the flooding, particularly in the underpass incident.[9]

See also

flag South Korea portal

2020 Korean floods

2022 South Korean floods

References

Jung-youn, Lee (17 July 2023). "Death toll from heavy rains continues to rise". The Korea Herald.
Retrieved 17 July 2023.

"중대본 "오전 6 시 기준 호우로 39 명 사망·9 명 실종"". mnews.jtbc.co.kr (in Korean). 17 July 2023.
Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.

Yoon, John; Yu Young, Jin (15 July 2023). "South Korea Reels From Monsoon Rains as Floods and
Landslides Kill 26". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023.
Retrieved 16 July 2023.

Boram, Park (17 July 2023). "49 dead or missing in downpours after 4 more bodies recovered from
underground road". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July
2023.

Lee, Hyo-jin (17 July 2023). "Yoon orders all-out efforts to cope with damage from downpour". The
Korea Times. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
McCurry, Justin (17 July 2023). "South Korea floods: president urges climate crisis action as death toll
hits 40". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July
2023.

Lee, Hyo-jin (16 July 2023). "Authorities criticized over botched response to flooded tunnel in Osong".
The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.

"7 bodies pulled from flooded road tunnel in South Korea as rains cause flash floods and landslides". AP
News. 16 July 2023. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.

Shin, Ji-hye; Son, Ji-hyoung (17 July 2023). "State audit, police probe launched into deadly Cheongju
flooding". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.

vte

Floods in 2023

Africa

Africa Great LakesSouth Africa

Asia

South AsiaIndia North IndiaPhilippinesSaudi ArabiaSouth KoreaTurkey

Europe

Italy Emilia-RomagnaUnited KingdomUkraine

North America

HaitiUnited States Fort Lauderdale, FloridaWesternDesert SouthwestNortheastern

South America

Brazil São Paulo

Oceania

Australia Western AustraliaNew Zealand North IslandSamoa

← 2022 floods

Categories: 2023 disasters in South Korea2023 floods in AsiaFloods in South KoreaHistory of North
Chungcheong ProvinceLandslides in 2023Landslides in AsiaJune 2023 events in South KoreaJuly 2023
events in South Korea

This page was last edited on 18 July 2023, at 18:32 (UTC).

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