Gyeongnam province has ordered an all-out recovery effort following record-breaking rainfall that caused fatalities, injuries, and widespread damage across the province’s southern coast.

Governor Park Wan-soo attended a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on August 17, where he reported on storm damage across the province and outlined ongoing emergency response measures.

According to the province, Gyeongnam received an average of 196 mm of rainfall, with the heaviest downpours concentrated in Geoje and Tongyeong.

Parts of Geoje recorded more than 840 mm of rain during the storm.

The severe weather resulted in one death and three injuries, while roads, rivers, and slopes sustained significant damage. A total of 165 residents from 125 households were forced to evacuate.

To speed up recovery efforts, the province has deployed excavators, dump trucks, and water pumps to the hardest-hit areas, with additional equipment being provided through cooperation with the Korea Forest Service, the military, and neighboring local governments.

Following the emergency meeting, Governor Park instructed local officials to inspect damaged areas as quickly as possible and ensure that equipment and personnel are dispatched wherever needed to help residents return to normal daily life.

Earlier in the day, Park visited the site of a fatal accident in Geoje’s Okpo-dong district before meeting evacuees at a temporary shelter established at Okpo Seongji Middle School. He also called for continued support for displaced residents should evacuations become prolonged.

The province warned that the risk of secondary disasters remains high even after the rain has stopped, with unstable ground increasing the possibility of landslides, soil erosion, and retaining wall collapses. Residents have been urged to avoid mountainsides, rivers, low-lying areas, and other hazardous locations, while closely monitoring emergency alerts and evacuation notices.

The province said it will continue safety inspections and emergency recovery operations until affected communities have returned to normal.