South Korea raised landslide alerts for Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and North Gyeongsang provinces to caution level on August 30 as heavy rain was forecast to drench most of the country on the last day of August, extending a volatile monsoon season that has already produced record downpours and deadly landslides.
The Korea Forest Service lifted the alert level from attention to caution as of 8 p.m. on August 30, citing forecasts of significant rainfall across central and southern regions starting August 31. The Korea Meteorological Administration predicted the west coast of South Chungcheong Province could receive more than 250 millimeters, while Daejeon, Sejong, and inland areas of South Chungcheong were expected to see more than 200 millimeters. Southern Gyeonggi Province was forecast to receive 50 to 100 millimeters, with some areas exceeding 150 millimeters.
The caution-level alert was already in effect for Daejeon, Sejong, North Chungcheong, South Chungcheong, North Jeolla, South Jeolla, Gwangju, and South Gyeongsang. Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Ulsan, and Jeju remained at attention level. Some areas, including Sangju in North Gyeongsang Province, had already recorded 100 to 200 millimeters of rain before the new system arrived, heightening concerns about soil saturation and landslide risk in mountainous terrain.
Record-Breaking Rainfall Season
The latest rain follows a particularly brutal stretch. On August 17, Geoje city in South Gyeongsang Province recorded 124.5 millimeters of rain in a single hour, the highest one-hour total since the Korea Meteorological Administration began keeping records for the city in 1972. Between August 17 and 18, Geoje received more than 400 millimeters overnight, triggering a landslide that struck an apartment complex in Okpo-dong. Rescuers pulled out three people, one of whom was later declared dead. The event forced mass evacuations across the southern coastal region and caused widespread power cuts.
Thunder, lightning, and sudden gusts were expected to accompany the rain in some areas. The Korea Forest Service urged residents to refrain from outdoor activities near forests and to evacuate quickly if evacuation orders were issued. Coastal areas were warned of high swells, with wave heights expected to reach 0.5 to 2.5 meters in East Sea waters and 0.5 to 2.0 meters in West Sea waters. Morning lows were forecast at 20 to 26 degrees Celsius, with daytime highs of 24 to 34 degrees.
North Chungcheong Province was forecast to receive 50 to 150 millimeters, with some areas potentially seeing more than 200 millimeters. North Jeolla Province was expected to get 20 to 80 millimeters, with localized totals exceeding 120 millimeters. Gangwon Province was forecast to receive 30 to 80 millimeters, with some areas seeing more than 120 millimeters. Jeju Island was expected to receive a relatively lighter 5 to 40 millimeters.
Part of a Broader Asian Monsoon Surge
South Korea’s rain comes amid an exceptionally active monsoon season across East and South Asia. Nepal is grappling with catastrophic flooding that has killed at least 794 people after a glacier collapse triggered a massive debris flow on August 26. Record rainfall has also affected parts of Japan and China in recent weeks, with multiple storms sweeping through large areas of East and Southeast Asia.
The persistent heavy rain has raised concerns about infrastructure resilience and emergency preparedness. South Korea’s elaborate disaster response system, honed after deadly floods in 2011 and 2022, has been activated across multiple provinces simultaneously, stretching emergency resources. Authorities in affected regions have deployed additional rescue teams and opened emergency shelters in low-lying areas and flood-prone zones.
The active monsoon pattern is consistent with broader climate trends affecting the Asia-Pacific region. Scientists have linked increasingly intense rainfall events to warming temperatures, which allow the atmosphere to hold more moisture. The combination of saturated ground from weeks of rain and forecasts of continued downpours has elevated the risk of additional landslides and flash flooding across vulnerable terrain in mountainous regions of the Korean Peninsula.
Residents in affected provinces were advised to monitor weather updates closely through the Korea Meteorological Administration and to follow local evacuation guidance. Transportation disruptions were expected across southern provinces, with potential road closures in mountainous areas where landslide risk is highest. authorities warned that even brief periods of intense rainfall could overwhelm drainage systems and trigger flash flooding in urban areas built on steep slopes.
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