Hundreds Displaced by Seoul Floods

Hundreds of people were driven out of their homes by record floods in Seoul on Monday. The Seoul Metropolitan Government set up emergency shelters after 290 residents in Dongjak district, 191 in Gwanak and 106 in Gangnam suffered flood damage to their homes.

The Dongjak district office set up 21 emergency shelters. Kim Young-ki (50) came home from work at around 6 p.m. on Monday and was about to eat dinner when the waters rose in his house. "The entire floor was ankle-deep under water and I don't think I'll be able to go home for about a week."

More than 100 residents in southern Seoul were also displaced by flooding and the Gangnam district office set up 40 tents in a school gymnasium to house them. A temporary clinic was also set up there.

Chung Kyu-hwan (80) said, "I've lived in Seoul for 61 years and it looks like the floods are getting worse. I've been scooping water from my house since this morning but all of my appliances have been ruined."

A Seoul city official said, "We provided 800 tents for displaced people to help minimize inconvenience for them."

A dozen landslides were reported with thousands of houses and commercial buildings submerged in the capital region.

According to the General Insurance Association of Korea, about 4,791 cars were reported under water on Monday and Tuesday. The total damage is estimated at 65.8 billion as the heaviest rainfall was concentrated in the affluent Gangnam and Seocho districts, where people drive many expensive imported cars (US$1=W1,305).