At least four people died and more than 1,000 were evacuated as torrential rain struck South Korea’s western and central regions on July 17, 2025. Flooded roads, landslides and transport disruption spread across Gyeonggi and the Chungcheong provinces while authorities raised the national heavy-rain response to its highest stage.
In Osan, south of Seoul, a 10-metre retaining wall collapsed onto a passing vehicle, killing its driver, a man in his 40s. In Seosan, a man in his 60s drowned after his car was swept away, and rescuers later found an 80-year-old man dead near the same location. Another man in his 80s was discovered dead in a flooded basement in Dangjin.
Two residents were buried by a landslide in Cheongyang county and taken to hospital with leg injuries. Elsewhere, a house collapsed in a landslide in Cheongdo county, although casualty information from that incident was not available in the reporting.
Seosan experienced rainfall as intense as 114.9 millimetres an hour. Accumulated totals reached 419.5mm there, 411mm in Hongseong, 376.5mm in Dangjin and 349.5mm in Asan. Pyeongtaek and Hwaseong in southern Gyeonggi received more than 80mm an hour. In Gwangju, reports said 87 roads and 38 buildings were submerged.
By 10 a.m., 1,070 residents had left their homes, including people from 79 households placed in temporary accommodation. Schools closed in parts of South Chungcheong, and the Interior Ministry restricted access to nearly 80 underpasses, riverside roads and low bridges. More than 374 trails in 15 national parks were closed, while 39 passenger ships on 31 routes were unable to operate normally.
Rail travel was also affected. Korea Railroad Corporation suspended or adjusted services from Seoul toward Cheonan, Hongseong and Cheongju, and halted trains on the Honam Line between Daejeon and the southwest.
The Korea Meteorological Administration issued heavy-rain warnings for Sejong, both Chungcheong provinces and parts of Gyeonggi. Advisories covered Seoul, Incheon, Daejeon, Gwangju and areas of Gyeonggi and Gangwon. Forecasts indicated that parts of the country could receive another 300mm or more by Saturday.
Acting Interior Minister Kim Min-jae said the government would mobilise available resources and urged people to avoid unnecessary travel, low-lying ground, riverbanks and landslide-prone areas. Emergency agencies were directed to intensify monitoring and order preventive evacuations where necessary. With additional rain forecast, the response remained focused on preventing further deaths after saturated communities had already suffered severe flooding and structural failures.
