85 Deaths From Landslides Over Past Decade; 99.9% of Vulnerable Areas Inspected

A total of 85 people have died or gone missing due to landslides over the past 10 years, data shows.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, there were 199 casualties from storm and flood disasters between 2016 and last year.

By disaster type, landslides accounted for the highest number of casualties with 85 people (42.7%), followed by river-related disasters with 64 (32.2%) and flooding in underground spaces with 37 (18.6%).

Other casualties included 9 from strong winds (4.5%), 3 missing (1.5%), and 1 from electric shock (0.5%).

To manage landslides, which have caused the most casualties, the government designates landslide-vulnerable areas every year. This year, authorities conducted 34,070 on-site inspections across 34,072 designated vulnerable areas, achieving an inspection rate of 99.9%.

Among these, 153 out of 154 locations identified as requiring facility repairs or reinforcement have completed the necessary measures, with the remaining one scheduled to be finished within this month.

Additionally, the government has continued to implement preventive measures, including conducting 819 evacuation drills for residents living in landslide-vulnerable areas.

President Lee Jae-myung stated during a meeting with senior presidential aides yesterday, "As many local governments have seen changes in leadership, there is a risk of negligence in responding to emergency situations, so extra caution must be exercised." He urged proactive inspections of landslide-vulnerable areas, semi-basement residences, aging facilities, and construction sites.

Minister of the Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung also emphasized on X (formerly Twitter), "We will manage landslide-prone areas, rivers, and underground spaces—where casualties from storm and flood disasters are concentrated—more thoroughly," adding, "There is no such thing as being too careful when it comes to protecting the lives and safety of the public."

(Photo: Provided by Korea Forest Service, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.