[The Herald Business — Senior Reporter Park Jong-il] Seoul's Dongdaemun-gu district office kept emergency staff on duty through the night in response to a heavy downpour, and Mayor Choi Dong-min on Saturday toured the Jungnangcheon and Jeongneungcheon streams and flood-damaged homes to assess safety conditions and the extent of the damage.
A total of 110.5mm of rain had fallen across Dongdaemun-gu by Saturday morning, with peak hourly rainfall reaching 44.5mm. Water levels in Jungnangcheon rose sharply overnight, forcing the closure of the Dongbu Expressway and submerging parts of the riverside walking path.
The district activated the first level of its disaster safety response headquarters at 10 p.m. Friday, then raised it to the second level at 4 a.m. Saturday as rainfall intensified. Mayor Choi received continuous overnight briefings on rainfall totals and damage reports, and directed staff to manage road closures, drainage operations and patrols of flood-prone areas.
A heavy rain advisory for Seoul was lifted at 7:30 a.m. Saturday as the rain band weakened, and the district shifted to a reinforced standby posture from 8 a.m. With rain expected to continue through Sunday morning and an additional 30 to 80mm forecast between Saturday and Sunday, however, the district is maintaining its emergency response footing.
At 10:20 a.m., Mayor Choi visited the area near Jangan Bridge on Jungnangcheon to check water levels, flow speed and the status of access restrictions on the walking path. He instructed officials to monitor rainfall in upstream areas in real time, noting that water levels in Jungnangcheon could rise again if heavy rain falls in northern Gyeonggi Province — including Uijeongbu — even if Dongdaemun-gu itself stays dry.
He then visited an aging home in Jeonong 2-dong that had sustained flood damage overnight. Part of the water-soaked ceiling had collapsed and leaks had broken out, forcing the sole resident to evacuate in the middle of the night with the help of emergency services. No injuries were reported, and the resident is staying with family for now.
Mayor Choi directed officials to conduct a structural safety inspection promptly to determine whether the building poses a collapse risk, and to continue damage assessments and recovery support until the resident can safely return home. He also ordered inspections of flood and leak damage in areas with concentrations of older housing and semi-basement units across the district.
Mayor Choi then visited Samil Bridge on Jeongneungcheon and the Jegi 1 stormwater pumping station to check water levels, the condition of the flooded walking path and the operation of drainage pumps. The district plans to step up monitoring of Jeongneungcheon, which can see rapid water-level changes in response to local rainfall, and to clear debris and waste washed ashore once the water recedes.
The district will continue monitoring weather and stream conditions through its disaster safety response headquarters and maintain patrols of pumping stations, drainage facilities and flood-prone areas. Should water levels rise again, the district will preemptively close riverside paths and access roads and notify residents promptly.
"Even though the heavy rain advisory has been lifted, we cannot let our guard down — water levels in the streams surged sharply overnight and homes were damaged," Mayor Choi said. "We will monitor upstream rainfall and local stream levels in real time and conduct thorough inspections of vulnerable areas, including older homes and semi-basement units, to prevent further damage."
He also urged residents to refrain from using the Jungnangcheon and Jeongneungcheon walking paths until water levels stabilize, and to report any flooding or facility damage to the district office or by calling 120.
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