Damage caused by torrential rains rises in South Korea

A series of torrential rains that began lashing South Korea on Wednesday, has flooded farmlands and caused a severe damage to local agricultural products.

Fourteen fatalities were confirmed, and 12 people remained unaccounted for at 11:00 a.m. local time (0200 GMT), according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

The downpour forced 13,209 people to evacuate their homes across the country, with 3,836 staying in temporary shelters as of Sunday morning.

As of July 19, the heavy rainfall has led to the death of 870,000 poultry and the affected crop area has exceeded 20,000 hectares, showed the data released by the South Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Sunday morning.

At Buyeo County in Chungcheongnam-do, one of the areas severely affected by the heavy rains, the rains have decreased, and the floodwaters have receded. However, many local watermelon growers reported substantial losses due to the downpours, as wholesalers showed no interest in buying watermelons that were submerged by flooding.

A farmer explained that each greenhouse spans an area of 660 square meters, and the initial purchase price for the entire greenhouse of watermelons could have varied between 5 to 6 million Korean won (roughly 3,600 to 4,320 U.S. dollars).

The South Korean agricultural department held an emergency meeting on Friday, stating that it will fully assist farmers in post-disaster recovery work and complete the assessment of losses as soon as possible to facilitate insurance claims and the distribution of subsidies.

Damage caused by torrential rains rises in South Korea

Damage caused by torrential rains rises in South Korea

Damage caused by torrential rains rises in South Korea

Damage caused by torrential rains rises in South Korea

Damage caused by torrential rains rises in South Korea

Damage caused by torrential rains rises in South Korea

Protests against federal immigration enforcement are spreading across the United States, with the latest demonstration unfolding directly in front of the White House.

Early Saturday, more than a hundred demonstrators gathered there, demanding changes to the Trump administration's immigration policies and accountability for recent shootings involving federal agents.

Immigrant rights and civil rights groups said this weekend's rallies mark a coordinated national response. Demonstrations are planned or already underway in major cities including Philadelphia, as well as across states such as North Carolina, Florida, Texas, and Washington, D.C., where organizers are calling for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be removed from local communities.

The nationwide protests follow a deadly week in which three people were shot by federal agents in two days.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, a 37-year-old woman, Renee Good, was killed during an enforcement operation by the ICE. A day later in Portland, Oregon, a man and a woman were wounded during a separate federal operation.

In the aftermath, Minnesota state officials accused the Trump administration of blocking their investigation by denying access to key evidence and prematurely drawing conclusions before a full review could be completed.

On Friday, Donald Trump defended the Department of Homeland Security's actions, sharply criticizing Minnesota leaders and calling them corrupt.

Local leaders have pushed back. During a Saturday news conference, the mayor of Minneapolis described ICE agents' actions as reckless.

Officials in both Minneapolis and Portland continue urging demonstrators to remain peaceful as protests intensify nationwide.

According to a 50501 Movement statement issued Friday, at least 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025.

Nationwide protests erupt in US after ICE shootings