On August 8th, in Seoul alone, 130 mm of rainfall per hour and 360 mm per day fell. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, it was the largest rainfall recorded ever since 1907. The middle of Gangnam district was submerged in water, landslides from neighboring mountains broke down buildings, and thousands of residents lost certain portions of their private property. More than 10 people were killed or went missing.
(Photo: The Guardian)
Seoul managed to prepare flood control measures after experiencing rain damage on previous 2010 Chuseok and 2011 July heavy rain incidents. However, through this damage, it was confirmed that the drainage facilities of districts were designed to process around 90 mm of rain per hour. In reality, the Korean peninsula is already experiencing heavy rainfalls that pour more than 100 mm of rain per hour. This indicates that the system still needs immediate structural improvement.
Despite the repeated tragedies, densely populated areas with high landslide risks are still neglected. Although three mothers and daughters were devastated by a landslide in Gapyeong in 2020, no clear measures were taken to prevent recurrence. There were no landslide risk inspections, safety diagnosis and effective measures for facilities such as country houses, restaurants, and cafes located at the foot of mountains in Gapyeong, Yangpyeong, Namyangju, and Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.
Seoul is no different. The risk of landslides is lurking everywhere in densely populated towns under Mt. Bukhan, Mt. Dobong, Mt. Acha, Mt. Gwanak, Mt. Cheonggye, Mt. Guryong, and Mt. Daemo. Geographically, Seoul is surrounded by several mountains which increases the risk of landslides in the metropolitan area. The ambiguous guideline of relevant tasks allocated between the Ministry of Public Administration and the Korea Forest Service is slowing down the effective procedure of natural disaster resilience projects. Moreover, the majority of the local residents are reluctant to prepare countermeasures to prevent flood damage that would likely result in falling real estate prices.
Some experts point to ‘Air Blocking’ as the primary cause of this massive rainfall. The Korea Meteorological Administration explained that shorter winters and longer summers allow larger quantities of water vapor to stay longer in the atmosphere before it falls. In short, larger ‘explosive water bags’ could stay in the sky above the Korean peninsula for a longer period than the past. The reduced temperature difference between the poles and the mid-latitudes lead to frequent air blockages due to poor air circulation.
The point to focus here is that the most vulnerable ones to natural disasters caused by abnormal climate are the social classes with the least economic power. Semi-basement houses are residential spaces that are designed to match the minimum living conditions such as lighting and ventilations mentioned in construction laws. Throughout history, these low-condition semi-underground structures became cheap residential spaces in the city center where low-income people such as low-paid workers, college students, and single-person households could live. However, the unique structure of half-underground residential houses made them especially vulnerable to natural disasters accompanied by climate change, such as heavy rainfalls and heat waves.
In order to tackle the problems of semi-basement structures, the local government of Seoul decided to promote a plan to prevent people from living in underground houses. The ultimate goal is to completely ban the use of semi-basement spaces for residential purposes. However there are concerns that if the number of semi-basement houses is drastically reduced, a large number of underprivileged people might be displaced. According to the Population Housing Survey released last year, there will be a total of 327,000 households living underground or semi-subterranean in 2020. Among them, 314,000 are concentrated in the metropolitan area alone, including 201,000 in Seoul. If concrete measures to improve housing rights are not accompanied, the 200,000 semi-subterranean residents currently living in Seoul may be flocked to poorer housing types. Comprehensive measures should be taken with the goal of resolving inappropriate housing.
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