Seoul: The total area of farmland damaged by the torrential rains that pounded South Korea over the past two days is equivalent to 18,000 soccer fields, the agriculture ministry said Friday. A total of 13,033 hectares of farmland were estimated to have been submerged by the heavy downpours as of Thursday, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the central region of South Chungcheong Province was hit the hardest, accounting for more than 95 percent of the damaged area. Over 12,000 hectares, or more than 80 percent of the damaged land, were rice paddies. In addition to crop damage, livestock losses were reported, with 56 cattle, 200 pigs, and 600,000 chickens killed due to the heavy rain.

With damage continuing to increase amid ongoing heavy downpours, Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung convened an emergency meeting Friday to discuss recovery measures. The ministry plans to collaborate with related agencies and local governments to prevent further damage. Efforts will focus on speeding up damage assessments to ensure that those affected can quickly receive insurance payments and subsidies.