Prime Minister Han Seong-sook Orders Emergency Readiness for Heavy Rain in Central Region

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook issued an emergency directive today to maintain a state of emergency readiness and ensure public safety in response to forecasts of heavy rain centered on the central region starting early tomorrow (July 18).

The Prime Minister's Office stated that Prime Minister Han ordered authorities to "strengthen safety measures and inspect evacuation systems, as the ground has been weakened by previous rainfall, raising concerns over soil erosion, landslides, falling rocks, and the collapse of retaining walls."

Prime Minister Han urged officials to "conduct emergency inspections to ensure that areas previously damaged by flooding do not suffer further damage, and to take all necessary measures to secure safety."

She further ordered, "Considering that it is the vacation season and a holiday period, take proactive safety measures such as providing swift guidance and facilitating evacuations for tourists and campers."

She also instructed authorities to "significantly strengthen monitoring activities in low-lying areas prone to flooding, such as semi-basement homes and underpasses, and to immediately evacuate residents and restrict access if signs of danger are detected."

Prime Minister Han noted, "It is difficult to evacuate in a timely manner if heavy rain falls from late at night until dawn," and added, "When heavy rain or landslide warnings are issued, immediately provide evacuation guidance through disaster text messages and village broadcasts, and provide support to ensure swift evacuations." She also emphasized the thorough pre-inspection of drainage pumps.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Han stated, "As heavy rain can be concentrated in specific areas over a short period, leading to greater damage, local governments, the Korea Forest Service, the police, and the fire department must maintain emergency readiness and ensure there are no gaps in management." She also stressed the importance of ensuring the safety of on-site response personnel and facility restoration workers.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, strong rain accompanied by gusts, thunder, and lightning is expected to fall at a rate of 30 to 50 mm per hour, centered on the Seoul metropolitan area, Gangwon Province, and the Chungcheong region, starting early tomorrow.

In particular, very heavy rain of 50 to 80 mm per hour is expected in the Seoul metropolitan area, inland Gangwon, the Chungnam region, and northern Chungbuk.

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