[Anchor]

The downtown areas and tourist spots of Tongyeong, which were battered by torrential rain as fierce as the downpours in Geoje, are now immediately worried about their livelihoods. With visitors abruptly cutting off during what should be a peak tourism season, the sighs of merchants and residents are growing deeper.

Reporter Lee Min-jae from KNN.

[Reporter]

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

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

Because there was almost no difference in height between the inside and outside of the buildings, the damage was bound to be severe.

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 huge crowds even on weekdays. Now, almost no one comes.]

While the heavy rain damage is gradually being restored, the regional impact continues to accumulate.

At a time when it should usually be bustling with customers, the footsteps of tourists have completely stopped as the designation of a special disaster zone is even being considered.

Even at Dongpirang Village, a representative tourist attraction in Tongyeong, finding tourists has become as difficult as picking a star from the sky.

[Kim Mi-sook and Oh Won-gyo / Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do: We heard there was a lot of damage, but we came here on a trip. Walking around here makes us feel a bit sorry for them. We had already made reservations, so we had no choice but to come.]

Shops are also practically in a state of suspension.

[Cafe Employee, 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 area, who would come?]

Traditional markets are no different, with a lack of customers.

Not only have tourists decreased, but affected residents are also tightening their belts, causing consumption itself to disappear.

[Seoho Market Merchant, Tongyeong: They told me, 'There's a disaster, come quickly,' so I rushed over. This is our livelihood, so we have to clean it up quickly. Customers have decreased a lot. Some people probably have damage at their own homes.]

Following the disaster of extreme heavy rain, there are deep concerns that another disaster—the cutting off of visitors to cities where tourism equals livelihood—will strike.

(Camera Journalist: Park Young-jun, KNN)

Lee Min-jae, KNN