Torrential rains trigger evacuations, closures in Greater Seoul, central region

Torrential rains swept through the central parts of South Korea on Thursday, leading to evacuations in landslide-prone and flood-prone areas, school closures and traffic disruptions, causing chaos for many.

The northern parts of Gyeonggi Province were among the hardest hit, including Paju, which saw rain up to 75.1 millimeters per hour early Thursday morning. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the total amount of rain that fell in Paju from midnight to 6 a.m. reached 143.5 mm.

Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency said 582 reports were filed with the police as of 8 a.m. Thursday morning. It saw a high number of reports requesting evacuation assistance, as the region saw heavy rainfall overnight. In the southern parts of Gyeonggi Province, 208 reports were filed with the police as of 8 a.m. Thursday.

At 2:25 a.m., two people were evacuated from Yangju after a landslide caused a retaining wall from a construction site to collapse on top of a house. While no one was injured, parts of the house were destroyed.

At 4:50 a.m., two individuals were rescued after being trapped inside a flooded building in Paju. The fire authorities also received a report of four cars on a road near the Munsan Stream in the city getting submerged in floodwaters around the same time. The four cars' five passengers managed to escape safely.

Immediate evacuation orders were also issued by authorities to some residents in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, due to swollen streams, as the city saw more than 50 mm of rain per hour.

According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, 887 residents from eight cities and provinces across Korea had been instructed to evacuate following Thursday’s downpours.

Additionally, according to the Ministry of Education, one elementary school in Gyeonggi Province was temporarily closed due to safety concerns, while three middle schools and six high schools conducted shorter classes. Eight other schools in Incheon and 14 schools in Gyeonggi Province also adjusted their school hours.

Commuters in greater Seoul were also affected as several roads and subways were shut down due to the rain.

In Seoul, both directions of the Dongbu Expressway, which links Gyeonggi Province and the city, were suspended due to the heavy rain. Sections of the Naebu Expressway were also closed, though they reopened as of 10:45 a.m.

Seoul's Line No. 1 subways running from Yeoncheon Station to Dobongsan Station were also suspended during morning rush hour and have not commenced services as of 4 p.m. Korail, the national railway operator, stated Thursday that it is "uncertain whether it will be able to resume operations due to persistent rain."

The entrances to 29 streams and four riverside parking lots in central Seoul were also blocked due to safety concerns. The Korea Forest Service raised its landslide alerts to the highest level of "serious" for Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi and Gangwon Provinces as of 7:30 a.m., advising people to evacuate promptly to safety in case of an emergency. As of 2 p.m., landslide alerts have been issued for Gangbuk-gu, Jongno-gu and Seodaemun-gu in northern and central Seoul.

Seoul had not seen any casualties reported from Thursday’s torrential rains as of press time, but three fallen trees, one flooded home and two traffic accidents caused by slippery roads had been reported in the capital.

As of 2:15 p.m., Jamsu Bridge near Seocho-gu, central Seoul, suspended vehicles and pedestrians from entering the bridge as water levels rose above 6 meters on the Han River due to heavy rainfall.

As the Interior Ministry raised its alert levels from “caution” to “vigilance” for the Greater Seoul area, Interior Minister Lee Sang-min ordered all possible personnel and resources to be mobilized to minimize further damage from the heavy rains.

Meanwhile, the KMA added during its briefing Thursday that additional heavy rain is expected to fall in areas that have already been heavily hit. According to the weather agency, Korea will see more rain nationwide until Saturday, with the Greater Seoul area seeing up to 150 mm of rain on Friday.