CDCHQ "Implement 'Excessive Pre-Control' for Landslide Preparedness"

"Repeated Disaster Alerts Sent Despite Resident Inconvenience"

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) requested on the 14th that local governments and related agencies implement 'excessive pre-control' measures in landslide-prone areas, as numerous landslide and flood damages are expected mainly in the central region until the 15th.

As of 5 p.m. that day, six flood warnings and seven flood advisories were issued mainly for the central region. Heavy rain is expected nationwide until the 16th. It is forecasted that more than 400mm of heavy rain will fall additionally, especially in the Chungcheong region, Jeonbuk region, and northern Gyeongbuk, with very strong rainfall of 50 to 100mm per hour expected.

That afternoon, two people were found in cardiac arrest due to a landslide burial accident in Nonsan, Chungnam, and numerous flood damages are expected mainly in the central region until the 15th.

The head of the CDSCH (Han Chang-seop, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety) instructed local governments to conduct excessive pre-control and resident evacuation in vulnerable areas such as landslide-prone zones, steep slopes, road embankments, and aging buildings. He emphasized actively implementing pre-control and pre-evacuation of dangerous areas, as evacuation is expected to be difficult in case of landslides and flooding caused by heavy rain during nighttime hours.

On the morning of the 14th, the road in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, where the retaining wall collapsed due to heavy rain last night, is closed. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Additionally, since river and reservoir water levels have risen nationwide, it was announced that preemptive evacuation should be carried out even if evacuation criteria are not met, considering the possibility of reservoir embankment collapse and sudden dam discharge during resident evacuation. Areas with concerns for human casualties, such as riverside walking trails and flood-prone facilities, should be thoroughly controlled in advance, and surveillance activities should be strengthened even in undesignated areas, with immediate control if signs of danger appear.

Furthermore, continuous guidance on risk situations should be provided to vulnerable groups such as residents of semi-basement houses and dedicated personnel, and emergency disaster messages should be repeatedly sent despite resident inconvenience and complaints. Ministries and public institutions managing electricity, gas, railroads, subways, and roads were instructed to maximize dispatch capabilities and promptly restore services in case of damage to minimize public inconvenience.

The head of the CDSCH urged the public, "Due to nationwide casualties and property damage caused by heavy rain, please absolutely refrain from approaching dangerous areas," and reiterated to related agencies, "Since large-scale flooding damage may occur due to river overflow, emergency agencies managing flood warning areas should actively conduct preemptive resident evacuation and pre-control surrounding roads."

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