Floods on the Han River in Korea

ABSTRACT

The Han River Basin, located at the center of the Korean Peninsula, has experienced large floods recurring every five years. Flood discharge on the lower reach of the river at Seoul, with its drainage area of about 26,000 km². sometimes exceeded 30,000 m³/s. The August 1995 flood, the most recent flood in the river basin, was associated with 50 fatalities and total property damage of US$600 million. Also, this flood exposed new types of flood impacts such as a nationwide traffic stoppage and traffic jams in urban areas, which may imply a structural deficiency in the national infrastructure system. Problems of sedimentation and erosion on the floodplains that occurred along the lower reach of the river at and around Seoul have recurred since the 1990 flood, requiring massive cleanup efforts.