Heavy rains in South Korea trigger Geoje landslide, killing one
Torrential rain in southern South Korea has triggered a landslide in the city of Geoje, killing one person and injuring four others. Officials said the heavy downpours have affected South Gyeongsang province since Saturday, with Geoje among the worst-hit areas. The incident has also led to evacuations, power cuts and flooding in schools and kindergartens.
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The interior and safety ministry said more than 800 mm of rain fell in Geoje, where the landslide struck an apartment building. Police and firefighters rescued three residents from the building, but one of them was found in cardiac arrest and later pronounced dead at hospital, according to local reporting cited in the supplied material. Two people were injured in Geoje and two others were hurt in nearby cities, bringing the total number of injured to four.
Authorities said about 390 people were evacuated as the rain continued to cause disruption across the province. Around 3,580 homes lost power, while firefighters received dozens of calls from residents seeking help with rain-related damage and accidents. Twelve schools and kindergartens were also reported flooded, underlining the wider impact on daily life in the region.
The scale of the rainfall makes the incident significant beyond the immediate casualties. Geoje recorded 805.7 mm of rain from Saturday through 8am on Monday, while Tongyeong received 671.9 mm over the same period. Other parts of South Gyeongsang province saw between 240 mm and 340 mm, showing that the weather system has affected a broad area rather than a single locality.
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South Korea is regularly affected by summer monsoon rains, but the latest downpours have again exposed the vulnerability of hillside housing, transport links and local infrastructure to landslides and flooding. The ministry's account, together with the evacuation figures and power outages, suggests emergency services are dealing with a fast-moving weather emergency rather than a single isolated collapse. Prime minister Han Seong-sook has instructed police, firefighters and other authorities to make every effort to rescue stranded residents and others at risk.
What remains unclear is whether further landslides or flooding will follow as the rain continues, and how many more people may need to be moved to safety. The immediate focus is on rescue work, restoring power and checking for additional damage in South Gyeongsang province. Officials are also likely to keep monitoring rainfall totals and local conditions as the monsoon system persists.
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