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Impact
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Gungpyeong No. 2 Underpass incident
Dam overflows
Landslides
Cultural heritage sites
Government response
See also
References
2023 South Korea floods

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2023 South Korea floods

A flooded road in South Korea

Cause Heavy rain
Meteorological history
Duration 8 June 2023 – present
(1 month, 2 weeks and 4 days)
Flood
Overall effects
Fatalities 47
Missing 3
Areas affected North Chungcheong, North Gyeongsang, South Chungcheong
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 47 people were killed and three
are still missing as of July 22, 2023.[1][2] The downpour is the heaviest in South
Korea in 115 years.[3]

Background
See also: East Asian rainy season § Korea
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.[4]

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.[4] Scientist have also mentioned that the climate warming situation has
likely resulted in more floods across the world as extreme floods have also hit
India, Japan, China.[5]

Impact

Flooded farmland
Many people were injured when torrential rains caused landslides and the overflow
of a dam in North Chungcheong, and prompting the evacuation of over 9,200 homes and
over 14,400 people nationwide.[6][7] On 17 July, Yonhap News Agency reported that
628 public facilities and 317 private properties were damaged by the heavy rain.[8]
According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, over 31,000 hectares (77,000
acres) of farmland were damaged or flooded and 797,000[9] livestock were killed.[6]
On 19 July, Yonhap reported that 1,101 public buildings and 1,047 private buildings
were damaged by the floods, especially around South Chungcheong Province.[9] Yonhap
also reported that 471 homes were submerged and another 125 were damaged.[9]

At least 22 people were killed in North Gyeongsang and four others were killed in
South Chungcheong Province.[6][10]

Gungpyeong No. 2 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.[11][12]
Fire officials estimated that the tunnel had filled with water in two to three
minutes, trapping 15 vehicles in the underpass.[11][12] Nine hundred rescuers,
including divers, were involved in the tunnel search.[11]

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.[12]

Dam overflows
In Hwasun County, the Dongbok Dam, which provides water supply for nearby Gwangju
city, had an overflow of some 800,000 tons per hour. The Hwasun County recommended
evacuation to its 10 low-altitude villages. This incident is a repetition of a
similar event from 2020, where another overflow caused 30 homes to be flooded.
Because of the dam's limited flood control capability (it is primarily a water
supply dam), residents have called for redesign of the dam.[13]

Landslides
On 15 July, a landslide occurred in the village of Baekseok-ri, Hyoja-myeon,
Yecheon County, which killed five seniors. One is currently considered missing.[14]

Cultural heritage sites

Fifty Intangible Cultural Heritage sites were damaged by the torrential rain
including Joseon-era hanok houses in North Gyeongsang Province, the Manhoe Historic
House in Bonghwa County, which suffered damage as a result of a landslide, and the
Choganjeong pavilion in Yecheon County.[15] Other damaged sites included
Gongsanseong Fortress and Mungyeong Saejae.[16]
Government response
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.[17] 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."[11] He
added: "We can no longer call such abnormal weather abnormal." He also called for
the need to upgrade systems to monitor water levels.[18] Yoon designated thirteen
areas "special disaster zones", which would make them eligible for financial
support in relief efforts.[9] At a press conference, the Ministry of Unification
requested that the North Korean government notify the South Korean government of
any plans to release water from the Hwanggang Dam.[19]

Since 15 July,[20] general trains and KTX service in affected areas has been
suspended. Korail, the railroad operator, announced the affected trains will be
resuming operation as soon as the checks for structural damage have been completed.
[21] On 17 July, President Yoon visited North Gyeongsang Province.[22] On the same
day, his government launched an audit looking into the handling of the flooding,
particularly in the underpass incident.[22]

See also
flag South Korea portal
2020 Korean floods
2022 South Korean floods
Climate change in South Korea
References
"Death toll from torrential rains rises to 47, 3 still missing". The Korea Herald.
22 July 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
Haye-ah, Lee (19 July 2023). "Yoon designates 13 special disaster zones over
deadly downpours". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on 19 July 2023.
Retrieved 19 July 2023.
"South Korea flood toll hits 39, Yoon blames officials". Riverine Herald. 17 July
2023. Retrieved 20 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.
"Is climate change causing droughts, heatwaves, wildfires and floods?". BBC News.
9 August 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
Jung-youn, Lee (18 July 2023). "44 dead, 6 missing amid continued downpours as of
Wednesday morning". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 18 July 2023.
Retrieved 19 July 2023.
"중대본 "오전 6 시 기준 호우로 39 명 사망·9 명 실종"" [Major script "As of 6 am, 39 dead
and 9 missing due to heavy rain"]. JTBC News (in Korean). 17 July 2023. Archived
from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
Park, Bo-ram (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.
Boram, Kim (19 July 2023). "(LEAD) Nearly 5,500 still displaced after deadly
torrential downpours". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
Jung-youn, Lee (17 July 2023). "Death toll from heavy rains continues to rise".
The Korea Herald. 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.
Gil-yong, Gu (19 July 2023). "'홍수 시한폭탄' 동복댐 되풀이 되는 위기 상황[초점]" ["Flood
time bomb" Dongbok Dam's Recurring Emergencies [Focus]]. Newsis (in Korean).
Retrieved 19 July 2023.
Sang-hwa, Kim (17 July 2023). "잠든 새벽 와르르… 마을이 사라졌다" [Collapse at dawn...
Village Disappearance]. Seoul Shinmun (in Korean). Retrieved 19 July 2023.
Jang-jin, Hwang (19 July 2023). "(LEAD) 50 S. Korean cultural heritage sites
damaged by torrential rains". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 20 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.
"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.
Young, Jin Yu (29 June 2023). "One Dead in South Korea as Monsoon Season Arrives".
The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
Shin, Hyonhee (17 July 2023). "South Korea flood death toll rises to 40, Yoon
blames botched responses". Reuters. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
Boram, Park (16 July 2023). "(LEAD) Torrential rains leave at least 32 dead, more
than 10 missing". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
뉴스 1 (19 July 2023). "코레일, 이르면 20 일부터 KTX·일반열차 운행 단계적 재개". 뉴스 1 (in
Korean). Retrieved 20 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 AsiaAfghanistanIndia North IndiaPakistanPhilippinesSaudi ArabiaSouth
KoreaTurkey
Europe
Italy Emilia-RomagnaUnited KingdomUkraine
North America
HaitiUnited States Fort Lauderdale, FloridaWesternDesert
SouthwestNortheasternCanada Nova Scotia
South America
Brazil São Paulo
Oceania
Australia Western AustraliaNew Zealand North IslandSamoa
← 2022 floods
Categories: 2023 disasters in South Korea2023 floods in AsiaJune 2023 events in
South KoreaJuly 2023 events in South KoreaLandslides in 2023Climate change in South
KoreaFloods in South KoreaLandslides in AsiaHistory of North Chungcheong
ProvinceHistory of North Gyeongsang Province
This page was last edited on 25 July 2023, at 12:42 (UTC).
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