Top Stories 25/07/20 Flood-hit Korean dioceses start repairs to churches, institutions

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Recording-breaking heavy rain from July 16-20 hit southern and central parts of the country

Rescue members search with a rubber boat on a street flooded by torrential rains in Daegu on July 17. (Photo by YONHAP/AFP)

By UCA News reporter

Published: July 21, 2025 11:44 AM GMT

Updated: July 21, 2025 12:11 PM GMT

Catholic dioceses in South Korea have started restoration work following damage to Churches and Church-run institutions by flooding that killed at least 17 people across the country.

Recording-breaking heavy rain from July 16-20 hit southern and central parts of the country, triggering flooding and landslides.

The southern county of Sancheong has witnessed widespread destruction. At least six people died and seven are missing. About 10,000 people were evacuated while 41,000 households have temporarily lost power.  

Gapyeong county, a resort town in Gyeonggi province, about 64 kilometers east of Seoul, was also badly hit. At least two people died and five are missing.

Flash floods engulfed houses and swept away vehicles, leading to deaths and missing people.

President Lee Jae-myung ordered the worst-hit areas to be declared as special disaster zones and for multi-agency recovery efforts.

Among the most hit areas are territories covered by Archdiocese of Gwangju and the dioceses of Daejeon and Cheongju.

The dioceses started restoration work following assessment of damages on the buildings in what is being dubbed the worst flood in two centuries.

The government confirmed 17 deaths and feared the toll might rise as many are still missing.

South Korea, which is typically prepared for the usual monsoon rains that it receives in July, faced the heaviest hourly rainfall on record, according to official data.

Some churches in the Gwangju metropolitan area were flooded due to the intense rain on July 17.

An electrical room and a machinery room located in the basement of the Mungyeong-dong Church and the basement-level welfare center of the Ochi-dong Church were flooded in the Gwangju archdiocese.

The churches were able to prevent further damage through swift drainage work.

The Yuchon-dong Church’s first-floor parking lot was flooded due to the overflowing of a nearby river.

The homes of the parishioners living near the church suffered flood damage.

Gwangju Archdiocese is currently investigating the damage caused by the heavy rains at each church and diocesan institution.

Meanwhile, the dioceses of Daejeon and Cheongju, which cover the Chungcheong region, faced extensive damage.

The Cheongju Diocese’s Chungju Seongsim School building was struck by lightning, damaging parts of the firefighting system, which was later repaired.

At Yangup High School located in the Cheongju Diocese, 155 students and faculty members were temporarily stranded due to rising river levels and bridge closures. They were later rescued.

The Yangup school preponed its scheduled vacation from July 18 to 17 due to the rain. Some offices at the Cheongju Diocese headquarters were also flooded.

In Daejeon Diocese, the courtyard, chapel, Bishop Daveluy's residence, and the underground Martyrdom Art Museum of the Sinri Pilgrimage Site were spared from damage despite the surrounding farmland getting flooded.

French missionary St. Antoine-Marie-Nicolas Daveluy (1818-1866), the former Vicar Apostolic of Korea, was martyred for faith.

The shrine suspended scheduled visits as the access road to the location is flooded.

The Daejeon diocese will send letters to its parishes and other shrines after the rain stops to “conduct a thorough investigation of the damage.”

The Jesuit Center in Mapo, Seoul, also suffered flood-related damages resulting in the suspension of services such as phone calls, lecture inquiries, Mass reservations, and changes to donation information, among others.

At least 11 people were killed in flooding in South Korea in 2022.

This report is brought to you in partnership with the Catholic Times of Korea.