Yoon demands attitude changes as rain casualties mount

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Yoon demands attitude changes as rain casualties mount

Published: 18 Jul. 2023, 18:15 Updated: 18 Jul. 2023, 18:25

Soldiers from the 1st Marine Division engage in restoration efforts in Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang, on Tuesday following a landslide. [YONHAP]

At least three bodies were recovered in Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang, on Tuesday in the aftermath of last week's torrential downpour, while a separate rescue operation in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, concluded with 14 fatalities.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, six people still remain unaccounted for as of Tuesday at 6 p.m., including five in Yecheon. They were either lost in landslides or floods.

The other missing person has been identified as a woman in her 60s who went missing on July 11 in Busan.

A total of 44 deaths has been counted so far in connection to the heavy rains — 22 in North Gyeongsang, followed by 17 in North Chungcheong, four in South Chungcheong and one in Sejong.

Thirty-five people have been injured.

Fourteen people who died in North Chungcheong were linked to an underpass in Cheongju's hamlet of Osong-eup, which was submerged by a flooded river on Saturday morning, trapping 17 vehicles inside, including a bus.

Search efforts at the tunnel officially wrapped up on Monday night, shortly after the 14th body was found.

By Tuesday morning, some 5,700 people who evacuated their homes were still unable to return amid the ongoing rain.

Heavy rain alerts were issued throughout the country's southern and central regions including Jeju Island, North Chungcheong and South Chungcheong on Tuesday as precipitation of 30 to 60 millimeters per hour (1.2 to 2.4 inches) soaked the areas.

The Korea Meteorological Administration said torrential rains were expected to persist through Tuesday afternoon for most of the country and early Wednesday morning for Jeju.

Once the rainclouds recede, sweltering heat is anticipated to push nationwide temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), before making way for yet another downpour on Saturday.

Nearly 1,500 cases of property damage have been reported to authorities so far, mostly concerning damaged water supply and sewage systems.

The Cultural Heritage Administration said it received at least 39 reports of national heritage damage across the country since the monsoon season began on June 23, mostly in North Gyeongsang, South Chungcheong and South Jeolla.

Some 300 houses were flooded, 60 vehicles were submerged in water and 693,000 livestock, including cows, pigs and chickens, died as a result of the floods.

Of the seven KTX high-speed train routes, two passing through the central regions have been suspended. Among the 13 regular train routes, only two connecting Daegu and Donghae in Gangwon are operating at slower speeds.

During a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office on Tuesday, President Yoon Suk Yeol said the government would declare special disaster zones "as soon as possible" and mobilize all available resources to help those in need.

Special disaster zones are declared in cases where an area has experienced a significant natural hazard, such as torrential rains or earthquakes, or a large-scale man-made disaster, such as the Itaewon crowd crush. When a special disaster is declared, the affected area becomes eligible for emergency relief and receives administrative and financial support from the government.

Mentioning his visit to Yecheon the day before, Yoon said authorities must change their approach to disasters.

"I've never seen a mountain collapse like that before," Yoon remarked. "We need to fundamentally change our disaster management system and response approach."

Yoon stressed that government officials need to stop thinking that natural disasters are inevitable and beyond their control.

"We should have a systematic digital monitoring system that can operate even during normal times," said Yoon. "The central government must collaborate with local governments at the national level and allow involvement from experts."

BY LEE SUNG-EUN, BAEK KYUNG-SEO [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]