| Cause | Heavy rain |
|---|---|
| Meteorological history | |
| Duration | 16 July 2025 – present |
| Flood | |
| Maximum rainfall | 426 mm (16.8 in) in Gwangju on 17 July |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 19 |
| Injuries | 4+ |
| Missing | 9 |
| Evacuated | 13,000+ |
| Areas affected | South Korea |
| Power outages | 41,000+ |
Heavy rains which started on 16 July 2025 have caused extensive flooding across South Korea, leading to the deaths of at least 19 people with a further nine reported missing. There was widespread damage across the country, with a number of settlements being severely damaged by landslides and over 13,000 people being evacuated.
Impact
[edit]By 17 July, four people had been killed and 1,300 evacuated by rescuers, with many injured people reported including two people with hypothermia and two with leg injures. The government raised the weather-related disaster alert to its highest level as the weather agency described the disaster as a once-in-a-century event. In half a day over 400 mm (16 in) of rain fell in Seosan, whilst a total of 426 mm (16.8 in) fell in Gwangju on 17 July.[1]
In Gapyeong County, at least two people have died and five are missing after a landslide engulfed houses and left 24 people stranded at a campsite where a man was also killed. Around 13,000 people were evacuated across the country.[2] Six people were killed and seven are missing in Sancheong County, whilst an entire village in central Chungcheong was covered with debris from a landslide. It was reported that over 41,000 properties had lost power whilst thousands of buildings and roads were damaged by floodwaters; swathes of farmland were also damaged and lots of livestock died.[3]
By 22 July the death toll had risen to 19, with a further nine people missing — president Lee Jae Myung said told public officials to "spare no effort" in the search for them and on damage recovery. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said 2,549 people remained displaced, whilst some 3,776 buildings including factories, homes and shops needed to be cleared of debris such as mud and water.[4]
On 23 July, K-water said it had mitigated downstream flooding despite rainfall exceeding dam capacities, with the spillways of only two dams being partially opened; the other 18 dams retained all water without discharging.[5]
See also
[edit]
- 2020 Korean floods
- 2022 South Korea floods
- 2023 South Korea floods
- 2024 Korea floods
- Climate change in South Korea
References
[edit]- ^ Ng, Kelly; Lee, Suhnwook (18 July 2025). "Four dead, 1,300 evacuated as heavy rains hit South Korea". BBC News. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ Jin, Hyunjoo (21 July 2025). "Death toll rises to 17 in South Korea as rains cause landslide and floods". Reuters. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ Davies, Maia; Seung Lee, Je (20 July 2025). "At least 17 dead in South Korea floods and landslides". BBC News. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
- ^ Jin, Hyunjoo (22 July 2025). "South Korea's Lee orders all-out effort to find missing after floods". Reuters. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ Lee, Jung-joo (23 July 2025). "Innovations at major dams helped limit floods during record-breaking rain: K-water". Korea Herald. Retrieved 23 July 2025.