At least 4 dead and 1,300 evacuated after heavy rain in South Korea

A road is covered with earth and rocks brought by a nearby landslide due to heavy rain at a village in Yesan, South Korea, Thursday, July 17, 2025. (Yoo Hyung-seok/Yonhap via AP)

SEOUL, South Korea — Two days of heavy downpours in South Korea have killed at least four people and forced more than 1,300 others to evacuate, officials said Thursday.

One person was killed when their car was buried by soil and concrete after a retaining wall of an overpass collapsed in Osan, just south of Seoul, during heavy rain on Wednesday, the Interior and Safety Ministry said.

Three other people were separately found dead Thursday in a submerged car, a stream, and a flooded basement in southern regions. Ministry officials said they were still investigating whether those deaths were directly caused by heavy rain.

The heavy rain has forced the evacuation of 1,382 people from their homes, the ministry said in a statement, adding 46 flights have been cancelled.

Parts of southern South Chungcheong province have received up to 420 millimetres (16.5 inches) of rain since Wednesday, according to the ministry.

Associated Press, The Associated Press