Torrential Rains in South Korea Claim 14 Lives, More Missing

At least two more people were confirmed dead on Sunday following intense rainfall across South Korea, bringing the total death toll from the week-long deluge to 14, according to the country’s interior ministry.

The number could still rise, with 12 individuals reported missing after five consecutive days of heavy downpours. Early Sunday, Gapyeong County in Gyeonggi Province — located about 70 kilometres east of Seoul — recorded nearly 170 millimetres (6.7 inches) of rainfall. The severe weather resulted in two fatalities and at least four missing persons in that area alone.

According to Yonhap news agency, one of the victims was a woman in her 70s who died when her home collapsed during a landslide. The body of a man in his 40s was recovered near a bridge, where he is believed to have drowned.

Most of the casualties have occurred in the southern county of Sancheong, which has received nearly 800 millimetres of rainfall since Wednesday. Two additional bodies were recovered there on Sunday morning during ongoing rescue operations, raising the local death toll to eight, with six people still missing.

While South Korea is no stranger to seasonal monsoon rains in July and is generally well-prepared, this year’s storms have been particularly intense in the southern regions. Meteorological data shows some of the heaviest hourly rainfall on record during the past week.

Experts attribute the increasing severity of such weather events to climate change, which they say is fuelling more frequent and intense storms across the globe. In 2022, South Korea experienced record-breaking rainfall that led to devastating floods and claimed at least 11 lives.