Search resumes for four missing in flooded river

Police search for the missing people on Wednesday in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province. / Yonhap

By Lee Han-soo

The search for four people swept away by strong currents after their car plunged into a river in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province, on Monday, has resumed after torrential rain eased.

Police and the fire department formed a search party of 600 officers on Tuesday morning to look for the missing people.

Meanwhile, Gangwon Province recorded the most rain in the country, with some regions getting more than 300 millimeters in a day. Seoul and the central region of the peninsula also suffered damage.

All regions reported severe flooding. There was a 15-ton landslide on a highway near Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, and an embankment collapsed onto two houses in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, leaving five homeless. .

Seoul also saw infrastructure damage as parts of the Dongbu Expressway, Jamsu Bridge and Cheonggye Creek were closed due to flooding.

As of 7 a.m. Wednesday, Misiryeong had the highest rainfall -- 332 millimeters. With rain easing and the heavy rain warning lifted, repair works have begun.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) expects the rain to ease from Wednesday. But typhoon Nepartak is due to affect Jeju Island on Sunday afternoon, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to the island and the southern region of the peninsula.

Although the KMA expects Nepartak to dissipate next week and be downgraded to a tropical storm, there is a possibility it will change course and cut through the peninsula.