Floods in South Korea take the lives of at least 39 people

Among the victims were twelve individuals who suffered a tragic loss of life in a flooded underpass.

Since last week's Thursday, the country's central and southern regions have been hit by rainfall, reaching the peak of the rainy season that began in late June.

The Interior Ministry has also reported nine missing persons and 34 injured across the country.

Twelve people died at a subpass in the central city of Cheongju. The incident occurred on Saturday when an immediate flood swept through 16 vehicles, including a bus.

Nine others suffered injuries.

The incident has raised concerns about South Korea's ability to prevent and respond effectively to flood damage.

Some regular street users criticised the government for not preventing access to the underpass, despite flood forecasts.

Last year, when the largest rainfall in 115 years that destroyed Seoul, including the wealthy Gangnam district, resulted in the death of at least 14 people and floods of subways, roads and homes, the government pledged to take measures to better address the disasters caused by climate change.

President Yoon, who recently returned from a trip abroad, called for a meeting within the agency for disaster response Monday. He acknowledged the situation had deteriorated due to weak management of high-sensitive areas

“We have repeatedly stressed the importance of controlling access to dangerous areas and implementing preventive evacuations since last year. However, if the fundamental principles of disaster response are not respected in the country, ensuring public safety becomes difficult,” said Yoon during the meeting.

He urged authorities to make maximum efforts in saving the victims and promised support for recovery efforts and affected families.

He also proposed defining areas affected by floods as specific disaster areas.