[Image of raindrops. Photo credit: Pixabay]

The rainy season in South Korea lasted for approximately a month in 2023.

The season started on June 25th, which was about six days later than the usual start date and concluded on July 26th. 

This rainy season brought about negative effects across South Korea.

The impact included the loss of 47 lives, with around 1600 people still unable to return to their homes due to rain-induced damage.

Additionally, during this period, a considerable number of people went missing. 

While some of those reported missing were eventually able to return back home, just under half of the people’s lives were reported lost and were presumed to have lost their lives.

This marked the highest toll in terms of lives lost and people affected in the recent 10 years. 

The heavy rainfall caused landslides, floods, and traffic accidents.

Notably, popular train lines, the KTX and SRT,  commonly used by South Korean citizens, experienced temporary line closure due to the potential risks of landslides and floods compromising the safety of the rails and trains.

 Thankfully, these line closures were brief, lasting only a few days.

Adding on, in Mid-July, there were some accidents involving transportation. 

These incidents included car accidents, train derailments, and even truck-related mishaps. 

One of the car accidents happened because the wet guard rail on the highway caused a car to slide past it. 

Similarly, a truck skidded on wet roads and overturned at a curve, leading to loss of control.

 Another unfortunate incident involved a train derailment resulting from a landslide.

The Mugunghwa-ho, the intercity train, suffered as the train tracks were obstructed by the debris from the landslide, causing the train to derail. 

Fortunately, there were no passengers on board; however, the driver was injured in the accident.

Landslides emerged as a significant concern for many of the citizens, constituting a recurrent natural disaster during the rainy summer season. 

This was not a new issue, as landslides had previously posed a problem.

The heavy rain destabilized the land, causing them to slide into homes and leading to disappearances, as escape routes were often blocked.

Among the regions affected, North Gyeongsang province was the area that was affected the most because of the landslides this season.

The province witnessed a significant loss of life, numerous missing persons, and widespread destruction of homes due to the landslides.

While many areas faced the negative consequences of the rainy season, the area most severely impacted was Chungcheong-do during the 14th and 15th days.

Although the rainy season has ended, its aftermath will likely be followed by extreme heat in South Korea. 

Summarizing, this year’s rainy season led to a lot of negative effects on the country, and the recovery process for both the affected areas and people is now underway.