Image Credentials: Image Title: At Least 14 Dead as Torrential Rains Trigger Devastating Floods and Landslides Across South Korea Source: (sora.chatgpt) Date: July 2025 Attribution: Created by AI-generated imagery (sora.chatgpt), it does not depict a real-world scene.
By Open Chronicle with Agencies
Seoul, South Korea — At least 14 people have been confirmed dead following catastrophic floods and landslides that have ravaged large swathes of South Korea in recent days, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on Sunday. With 12 still missing, emergency teams continue rescue operations amid fears the death toll could rise further.
Heavy rainfall, which began on Wednesday, has overwhelmed drainage systems, inundated towns, and triggered deadly landslides across the central and southern regions of the country. Authorities report that nearly 10,000 residents have been evacuated, and more than 41,000 households experienced temporary power outages.
In the resort town of Gapyeong, north of Seoul, residents were seen trudging through mud-covered streets on Sunday, trying to cross a partially collapsed bridge to reach evacuation shelters. The area was hit by a landslide that destroyed several homes, killing two people, according to officials cited by AFP.
Further south in Sancheong, the situation remains dire. Six people have been killed, and seven are missing after raging floodwaters swept away buildings and vehicles. In Chungcheong Province, dramatic video footage from Saturday shows an entire village buried under tons of earth and debris after another powerful landslide.
In addition to human casualties, South Korea’s agriculture sector has suffered devastating losses. Vast stretches of farmland are now submerged, and the widespread death of livestock threatens long-term food security in rural communities.
While rains have eased in the southern and central regions, the storm front shifted northward overnight, putting Seoul and northern provinces on high alert as further rainfall is forecast through Sunday night.
President Lee Jae-myung has ordered the worst-hit areas to be declared special disaster zones, unlocking state funds and resources for recovery efforts. “The government will spare no effort in supporting affected families and restoring daily life,” he said during a briefing.
Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung directed local authorities to deploy “all available resources without delay,” stressing the urgency of immediate search and rescue operations, infrastructure repair, and support for displaced residents.
As emergency services brace for continued instability, meteorologists have warned that the country is likely to face an intense heatwave immediately following the end of the storm, complicating recovery and raising health concerns for evacuees and emergency workers.
With thousands of people still in shelters and communications patchy in rural areas, the true scope of the disaster may not be known for days.
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