(LEAD) Yoon orders emergency response posture against heavy downpours

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday ordered an increased emergency response posture against the ongoing heavy downpours, giving instructions for a thorough evacuation of affected residents, according to his office. The order was issued following briefings on the forecast of heavy concentrated rainfall, including in the wider Seoul area, said Jeong Hye-jeon, a presidential spokesperson, in a written press briefing. President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul on July 16, 2024. (Yonhap) Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo also instructed relevant ministries and local governments to strengthen monitoring of homes in sparsely populated mountainous areas, among others, and immediately evacuate residents at the slightest sign of danger, his office said in a press release. Heavy rainfall of up to 103.5 millimeters per hour pounded parts of South Jeolla Province overnight, according to the state weather agency. Han noted the central regions are forec ast to receive rain of up to 70 mm per hour starting late Tuesday and instructed officials to open the floodgates of dams when necessary while sharing related information in real time to prevent damage to downstream regions. Source: Yonhap News Agency