SEOUL, July 22. /TASS/. The death toll from floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains in South Korea has risen to 19, with 9 people currently reported missing, the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said.
Recovery efforts are underway in affected regions. According to the ministry, approximately 7,000 buildings were damaged by the severe storms, which peaked on July 16-20. Over 14,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes, with 2,500 still unable to return to their place of residence.
On July 21, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung instructed the government to give the regions hit the hardest by the torrential downpours the status of "special disaster zones," enabling the mobilization of additional resources to address the flood’s aftermath, start rebuilding infrastructure and assist those affected.
The "special disaster zone" status provides immediate government funding for the affected regions, emergency payments to local residents, and financial relief measures including tax relief and loan deferrals.