[Anchor]

A landslide occurred on Bukhansan Mountain yesterday (July 19) after the heavy rain passed. Fortunately, there were no casualties as the hiking trail was closed to the public. Experts warn that the risk of landslides and rockfalls is even higher after the rain stops.

Reporter Jang Seon-i visited the scene.

[Reporter]

A long scar is visible where soil and rocks were swept down from the mountain peak.

The landslide occurred around 11:00 a.m. yesterday between Nojeokbong Peak and Yaksuam Hermitage on Bukhansan Mountain, carving a path 10 meters wide across a 4,000-square-meter area of the hillside.

The debris, which originated from Nojeokbong Peak, traveled 400 meters down, stopping just 30 meters away from a hiking trail.

There were no casualties because the trail was closed at the time of the landslide.

On the day before the landslide, a heavy rain warning was in effect for Bukhansan Mountain, with 146 millimeters of rain falling over two days, including a peak intensity of 57 millimeters per hour.

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Around 3:30 p.m. yesterday, a 3-ton rock rolled down toward a resting area frequently used by hikers near Nammaetap Pagoda on Gyeryongsan Mountain in South Chungcheong Province.

[Kwon Wook-young / Director of Gyeryongsan National Park Office: If hikers had been resting there at that time, it could have easily led to significant casualties.]

There have already been 10 rockfall incidents in national parks this year, surpassing the total number of incidents from last year in just seven months.

Both the landslide on Bukhansan Mountain and the rockfall on Gyeryongsan Mountain occurred after the heavy rain had passed.

[Lee Jeong-young / Manager of Disaster Management Department, Korea National Park Service: During the summer rainy season, rock formations and soil become extremely unstable. It is dangerous when it rains heavily, but for several days after the rain stops, the ground remains saturated with water, posing a very high risk of landslides and rockfalls.]

An analysis of landslides in the Xinjiang region by Chinese researchers also showed that the period between 12 and 24 hours after the rain stops is the most dangerous.

With more rain forecast across the country this week, extra caution is required when hiking, even if the rain has temporarily stopped.

Reported by Yoon Hyung | Video edited by Choi Jin-hwa | Footage provided by Korea National Park Service