More than Half of Landslide Reports This Year Occurred in July... Highest Frequency in Chungnam

More than half of the landslide reports this year were concentrated during the heavy rainfall period this month, according to preliminary data. Chungnam is identified as the region with the highest frequency of landslide occurrences.

On the 16th, residents are moving from the village at the landslide site in Beolbang-ri, Gamcheon-myeon, Yecheon-gun, Gyeongbuk. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the Korea Forest Service on the 18th, a total of 195 landslide reports were received from the 6th to the 17th of this month. Considering that a total of 325 landslide reports were received from January to July (as of the 17th), the number of landslide reports during the recent heavy rainfall period accounts for 60% of the total annual reports.

By region, Chungnam shows the highest frequency of landslide occurrences.

In Chungnam, 172 landslide reports were received from the 6th to the 17th of this month. During the same period, 11 reports were received in Jeonbuk, followed by 6 in Gyeongbuk, 5 in Chungbuk, and 1 in Gangwon.

The total number of landslide reports throughout the year (including from the 6th to the 17th of this month) is counted as 172 in Chungnam, 133 in Gyeongbuk, 11 in Jeonbuk, and 5 in Chungbuk.

Landslides have also resulted in casualties. This year, there were a total of 8 landslides (5 in Gyeongbuk, 2 in Chungnam, 1 in Chungbuk), causing 10 deaths (7 in Gyeongbuk, 3 in Chungnam), 3 missing or buried persons, and 5 injuries.

Notably, all casualties this year occurred during the heavy rainfall period this month, and forecasts indicate that the heavy rain will continue until next week.

Nam Seong-hyun, Administrator of the Korea Forest Service (second from the left), and Lim Sang-seop, Deputy Administrator, are holding a situation assessment meeting with related organizations in the forestry sector at the Korea Forest Service Situation Room on the 16th. Photo by Korea Forest Service

In response, the Korea Forest Service held a meeting yesterday at the Forest Service Situation Room with related agencies in the forestry sector to review the status of damage from the heavy rainfall and response measures, and urgently discussed ways to minimize casualties such as resident control and preemptive control.

They also decided to focus their efforts on promptly disseminating landslide risk information and strengthening cooperation with related organizations such as the police and local governments to proactively evacuate residents when landslide risks are detected.

Nam Seong-hyun, head of the Korea Forest Service, said, “Due to the continuous heavy rainfall, the risk of landslides has greatly increased,” and added, “We earnestly ask the public to monitor landslide forecasts and evacuate quickly to safe places in case of emergencies.”

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