South Korea’s president vowed to “completely overhaul” the country’s approach to extreme weather from climate change after at least 39 people were killed by recent flooding and landslides during monsoon rains
Due to extreme weather conditions from Climate change in South Korea, a considerable amount of people died.
The interior ministry said rescue teams walked through thick mud as they drained a flooded underpass in central Cheongju. The vehicles were stuck in the tunnels by flash floods. Teams are searching for further victims as nine people still missing nationwide.
South Korea is in the midst of its summer monsoon season. The days of torrential rain causing extensive flooding and landslides. Also, rivers bursting their banks and reservoirs and dams overflowing – and there are more predictions of rain this week.
President Yoon Suk Yeol said, “This kind of extreme weather event will become commonplace — we must accept climate change is happening, and deal with it”
Extreme weather connected to climate change “is an anomaly that can’t be helped and needs to be completely overhauled”, he added, calling for “extraordinary determination” to improve the country’s preparedness and reaction to catastrophic weather.
He further included that South Korea will “mobilize all available resources” . It also includes the military and police, to assist with rescue attempts.
The president said, “The rainy season is not over yet, and the forecast is now that there will be torrential rain again tomorrow.”
The majority of the casualties, including eight individuals’ still missing and 19 people who died, occurred in the province of North Gyeongsang. Enormous landslides in the hilly areas that engulfed buildings with people inside caused these casualities.
According to the interior ministry, when a river overflowed in the province some of the people swept away and went missing.
Stay inside
According to Yonhap, the police in South Korea stated they will look into the tragic flooding of an underpass in Cheongju. It is around 112 kilometers south of Seoul.
A nearby river overflowed and an embankment collapsed early on Saturday. The underpass flooded, trapping 16 cars within, including a bus. At least 12 people died in the incident, and rescuers warned that the death toll may grow as they continued to scour the area.
The Korea Meteorological Administration advised the public to “refrain from going outside”. There is a prediction of more heavy rain through Wednesday.
Flooding hits South Korea routinely throughout the late spring monsoon period. Yet, the nation is ordinarily good to go and the loss of life is generally moderately low.
Scientists say the climatic change has made weather events all over the world to an extreme limit and more frequent.
South Korea undergo through record-breaking rains and flooding last year, which results in the loss of more than 11 individuals. They included three individuals who died in Seoul basement apartment. The Oscar-winning Korean film “Parasite” made this fact universally known.
At the time, the government blamed climate change for the extreme weather. The government also claims that the 2022 flooding was the heaviest rainfall since Seoul’s weather records began 115 years ago.
