Seoul: Prime Minister Han Seong-sook on Friday ordered government agencies to maintain emergency readiness and take all necessary measures to ensure public safety as heavy rainfall is forecast to hit central parts of the country starting early Saturday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Korea Meteorological Administration has predicted strong rain accompanied by gusty winds, thunder, and lightning across the Seoul metropolitan area, the eastern province of Gangwon, and the central Chungcheong region from early Saturday. Hourly precipitation is expected to range from 30-50 millimeters, with some areas, including the greater Seoul area, potentially experiencing rainfall intensity of up to 80 mm per hour.

Prime Minister Han has instructed relevant authorities to strengthen safety measures and review evacuation systems, emphasizing the heightened risk of landslides, rockfalls, retaining wall collapses, and other accidents due to recent rainfall. Han also emphasized the importance of conducting emergency inspections in areas previously affected by flooding to prevent recurrence and secure public safety.

Acknowledging the overlap of the expected downpours with the summer vacation season and a holiday period, Han called for preemptive safety measures for tourists and campers. She highlighted the challenge of timely evacuations during overnight rainfall and directed local governments to promptly issue evacuation guidance through emergency text alerts and local broadcasting systems in the event of heavy rain or landslide warnings.

Earlier in the day, Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung convened a meeting with relevant agencies and ordered the preemptive activation of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. His office stated that Yun instructed the dispatch of on-site situation managers to nine cities and provinces expected to be affected by the heavy rain and called for thorough preventive measures, including access restrictions and evacuations in areas vulnerable to flooding and landslides.