Seocho-gu District Mayor Inspects Flood-Prone Areas Ahead of Rainy Season

Seoul's Seocho-gu district conducted an on-site inspection of flood-prone areas around Gangnam Station ahead of the monsoon season, as the district moves to secure resident safety against heavy rainfall.

District Mayor Jeon Seong-su led the joint inspection on June 19 alongside some 80 participants, including Seocho Police Station Chief Ju Jin-hwa and other police officials, Seocho Fire Station personnel, the Seocho Voluntary Crime Prevention Unit, the Gangnam Station merchants' association, and neighborhood leaders from Seocho 2-dong. The inspection focused on areas at high risk of flooding during heavy downpours, with officials directly checking the condition of storm drains, manhole fall-prevention devices and flood barriers, while also reviewing on-site emergency response systems.

Inspectors carefully examined storm drains for sediment buildup and drainage capacity, and checked the installation condition and any damage to manhole fall-prevention devices.

Officials also reviewed the maintenance of flood barriers installed at small commercial establishments to strengthen preparedness and reduce flood damage during heavy rain. The district plans to restrict flood-prone roads and guide vehicle detours when flood alerts are issued, prioritizing resident safety through a multi-layered response system.

The district has been pursuing a range of flood-prevention measures and disaster-mitigation infrastructure upgrades to address localized downpours and extreme weather driven by climate change. Last year, it became the first in the country to build an AI-based flood measurement and warning system integrating public CCTV with AI technology, which has been operating at 10 flood-prone locations including the Gangnam Station area since this year. The system uses standard reference points such as vehicle tire wheels and manholes to quantitatively analyze flood depth. It automatically activates laser barriers and ground-projected warnings when road flooding reaches 30 centimeters, with the aim of minimizing casualties and property damage from heavy rain.

The district also completed early dredging of 100 kilometers of sewer pipes and some 20,000 storm drain inlets, and finished installing flood barriers and backflow-prevention devices at 588 low-lying households. It is also expanding manhole fall-prevention device installations in chronically flood-prone areas such as Gangnam Station. Following installations at a total of 4,928 manholes through last year, an additional 150 are being carried out this year, significantly reducing the risk of safety accidents during heavy downpours.

The district has also strengthened a community-based care system to protect vulnerable residents during disasters. At 59 care households, neighboring residents and care civil servants have been matched as "companion partners" to provide ongoing support to disaster-vulnerable households. Some 440 people — including community center civil servants and neighborhood leaders — have been designated as storm drain managers to ensure prompt maintenance when heavy rain advisories are forecast. Mobile patrol units are also deployed in flood-prone areas to handle real-time complaints and conduct patrols.

The district is also accelerating its disaster-mitigation infrastructure expansion. Following the completion of a new sewer culvert on Seouno-ro last year, it plans to press ahead this year with a new culvert on Bangbae-ro, the construction and expansion of the Yangjae stormwater pumping station, and a deep underground stormwater drainage tunnel as part of its medium- and long-term flood prevention projects.

"As climate change brings more frequent heavy downpours, advance prevention and on-site response are more important than ever," Jeon said. "We will push ahead without delay — from managing flood-prone areas to expanding disaster-mitigation infrastructure — to make Seocho a safe district, free from flood damage."