Prime Minister Han Seong-sook on the 17th ordered related agencies, including the National Fire Agency, Korean National Police Agency, and local governments, to mobilize all available personnel and equipment and make every effort to rescue people, including evacuating isolated residents, after torrential rain caused damage in Geoje, South Gyeongsang, and elsewhere.
Han said, "Officials should maintain an emergency work posture and ensure there are no gaps in management," and asked them to "make every effort to ensure safety, including preventing secondary accidents during on-site activities by firefighters conducting rescue operations."
According to fire authorities, at about 4:42 a.m. a landslide occurred near an apartment complex in Okpo-dong, Geoje, South Gyeongsang, leaving one resident dead and two rescued. In Hoejin village in Geoje, more than 20 people were also isolated, and rescue operations are underway. As of 4:30 a.m., 154 residents were subject to rescue or evacuation.
In Geoje, 782.5 mm of rain fell from the 15th to 6 a.m. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety activated level 1 of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters at 6 a.m. Around the same time, the Geoje Fire Station issued response level 2.