Heavy Rain to Hit Central Regions Early Tomorrow... Ministry of the Interior and Safety Dispatches Situation Managers to 9 Cities and Provinces

Heavy Rain Expected in Seoul Metropolitan Area and Other Regions
Central Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters Activated in Advance
Preemptive Control of Vulnerable Areas

Heavy rain of up to 80mm per hour has been forecast from the early morning of July 18, mainly in the Seoul metropolitan area, Gangwon, and the Chungcheong region. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has preemptively activated the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and urgently dispatched on-site situation managers to nine cities and provinces where heavy rainfall is expected.

The ministry reported that Minister Hojoong Yoon held a countermeasures meeting with relevant agencies on July 17 to review the heavy rain response posture.

Citizens passing through the Gwanghwamun intersection in Seoul are hurrying their steps, equipped with umbrellas and rain boots. Photo by Dongju Yoon

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, rain accompanied by gusty winds, thunder, and lightning is forecast to fall at rates of 30 to 50mm per hour in the Seoul metropolitan area, Gangwon, and the Chungcheong region in the early hours of July 18. Extremely heavy rain—between 50 and 80mm per hour—is expected in the Seoul metropolitan area, inland Gangwon, Chungnam, and northern Chungbuk.

Minister Yoon has instructed authorities to preemptively control access to disaster-prone areas such as mountainous valleys, campsites, camping grounds, semi-basement residences, underground roads, and aging reservoirs, and to initiate resident evacuations.

He also ordered checks on drainage facilities such as rainwater catchments and pumping stations in areas recently affected by flooding. He directed officials to swiftly alert the public to disaster situations through emergency disaster messages and village broadcast systems.

Minister Yoon emphasized, "When it comes to protecting the lives of citizens, there is no such thing as an overreaction." He added, "Maintain emergency response readiness throughout the holiday period and respond immediately whenever any signs of danger are detected."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.