Torrential Rains Wash Away Customers and Leave Behind Mud: "We Had Reservations So We Had No Choice But to Come"

This is Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do, where a 750mm water bomb was unleashed.

The old downtown area, lined with historic buildings along narrow alleys, took a direct hit.

Because there was almost no difference in elevation between the insides and outsides of the buildings, the damage was inevitable.

The problem is that even after cleaning up the ruined streets and shops, there are no customers.

[Kang Mi-kyung / Merchant, Jungang-dong, Tongyeong: Before the rain, there were tons of people even on weekdays. Now, almost nobody comes.]

[Lee Min-jae / KNN Reporter: While the damage from the heavy rain is gradually being restored, the local economic damage continues to accumulate. At a time when it would usually be bustling with tourists, visitors' footsteps have completely cut off because even the designation of a special disaster zone is being considered.]

In Tongyeong's representative tourist spot, Dongpirang Village, finding a tourist has become as hard as picking a star from the sky.

[Kim Mi-sook and Oh Won-gyo / Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do: They say there was heavy damage, but we came here for a trip. Walking around here feels a bit apologetic to the locals, but we had already made reservations so we had no choice but to come.]

Shops are effectively in a state of suspended business.

[Cafe Employee in Tongyeong: There were quite a few customers even during the Hansando Great Battle Festival. After that, heavy rain poured down, and with people calling it a disaster zone, who would come?]

Traditional markets are no different with a lack of customers. Not only have tourists decreased, but residents affected by the disaster are also tightening their belts, causing consumption itself to disappear.

[Seoho Market Merchant in Tongyeong: They told me, 'There's a disaster, come quickly,' so I rushed over. Our livelihoods are on the line, so we have to clean up fast. Customers have dropped significantly, and some people might have damage in their own homes.]

Following the disaster of extreme downpours, there are deep concerns that another disaster—the halting of visitors to a city where tourism equals livelihood—might strike.

"Livelihoods on the line" everywhere goes empty... Direct hit on once-crowded downtown (August 20, 2026, 8 News)

Reported by Lee Min-jae (KNN) | Producer: Bae Jun-hwi | Camera Filming by Park Young-jun (KNN) | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.