The Philippine Embassy in Seoul on Wednesday advised Filipinos to closely monitor weather conditions in their respective areas and observe safety precautions as parts of Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi in South Korea have experienced record heavy rainfall that has led to massive flooding.
On Tuesday evening, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said no Filipinos have been affected by the floods.
“As of now, (there are) no reported Filipinos affected by the floods in Central Seoul and surrounding areas like Incheon and Gyeonggi,” DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza told reporters in a message. “The embassy continues to monitor and reach out to the Filipino community during this record rainfall, the first in 80 years for Korea.”
The Yonhap News Agency reported that 16 people have been confirmed dead or missing and more than 2,500 homes and buildings flooded. Government data, on the other hand, said nine individuals have died—five in Seoul, three in Gyeonggi Province and one in Gangwon Province—while seven more have been reported missing—four from Seoul and three from Gyeonggi Province—and 17 hurt.
According to officials, roughly 570 people from 398 homes, largely from the greater Seoul area, have been relocated and are now living in nearby gyms and schools. An additional 1,253 individuals from 724 families across the nation have been temporarily evacuated.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) reported that from Monday to Wednesday morning, Seoul received a total of 525 millimeters of rain, while Yangpyeong, located 45 kilometers to the east of Seoul, received 526.2 millimeters of rainfall.
As of early Wednesday, according to the KMA, the deluge warning has been withdrawn for Incheon, west of Seoul, and the greater Seoul area. However, the agency kept a heavy rain warning in effect for Chungcheong Province in the center of the country, where it said precipitation might reach 50 to 80 mm per hour.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who apologized for the “inconveniences” the flooding has brought, said the rain that started on Monday is the highest since South Korea’s weather observation records started 115 years ago.
In an advisory, the Philippine Embassy advised Filipinos in South Korea that consular applicants who were unable to proceed with their appointments at the Embassy should contact the following numbers for adjustments in their schedules.
Mobile number: 010-9385-0535
Visa: visa@philembassy-seoul.com
Passport: passport@philembassy-seoul.com
Notarial: notarials@philembassy-seoul.com
Civil Registry: civilregistries@philembassy-seoul.com
Assistance to Nationals: atn@philembassy-seoul.com