Like a scene from ‘Parasite’: Floods lay bare social disparity in South Korea

SEOUL, Aug 10 (Reuters) – Using a plastic bowl, Ha In-sik bailed water out of his decrease floor condominium in the low-income housing district of Sillim in southwestern Seoul on Wednesday, the place flooding brought on by torrential rain pressured his household to sleep at a close by park.

The 50-year-old man, alongside together with his spouse and daughter had collected house home equipment, furnishings, books and even cutlery, and put them exterior to see what was salvageable.

The scene bore uncomfortable similarities with the sewage-flooded semi-basement flat depicted in the 2020 Oscar-winning South Korean movie “Parasite,” that was a story of rising social disparity in Asia’s fourth-largest economic system.

The floods have brought on inconvenience and financial losses in the wealthier elements of the capital, just like the glitzy Gangnam neighbourhood a few miles away.

But in locations like Sillim, the floods have snuffed out what little hope determined folks like Ha had clung to in order simply to maintain going.

“I’ve got no money, nothing. But I had come here to live in this basement, as it was only option I had to live with my daughter,” Ha informed Reuters.

“But I’m hopeless now. Everything is gone, there’s no help and I don’t even have a spoon to eat food with.”

Ha wasn’t alone in his distress. Other residents in Sillim have been scooping up water with giant bowls or combing by means of the detritus to see no matter was nonetheless usable.

On Monday, three relations residing in the neighbourhood, together with a lady with developmental disabilities, drowned in their decrease floor condominium. President Yoon Suk-yeol visited Sillim a day later.

On Wednesday, Yoon apologised for the tragedy and referred to as for measures to enhance housing security to guard outdated, poor or disabled folks and households, like Ha’s, whose houses have been most weak to flooding.

At least 10 folks have perished as a results of the torrential rain that has swept throughout the northern a part of the nation since Monday, knocking out energy, inflicting landslides and flooding roads and subways. learn extra

This week’s deluge introduced the heaviest rains in 115 years in Seoul, in response to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

As of Wednesday, it stated, six folks have been nonetheless lacking, 570 have a minimum of briefly misplaced their houses, whereas 1,400 have been evacuated, largely in Seoul, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters stated.

As the rain clouds moved southwards on Wednesday, the restoration effort kicked into excessive gear, a minimum of in the higher off districts.

While giant swathes of Sillim remained flooded, and residents likened circumstances to a “mudbath”, in Gangnam most roads had been cleared and visitors was again to regular.

Ha stated it will take about 10 days to get his condominium again to the purpose the place he would transfer again in. He stated the one assist the federal government had provided was for momentary shelter at a gymnasium, which he rejected.

An official on the Gwanak district workplace, which covers Sillim, stated that restoration efforts might be slower there because of the focus of tiny residences and homes lining the slim streets, in contrast to Gangnam, which has huge boulevards and workplace buildings.

The official stated the variety of troopers concerned in the restoration can be raised from 210 to 500 on Thursday.

“We’re making all-out efforts to help residents, bringing everyone from our office, troops and volunteers,” the official stated.

Reporting by Hyonhee Shin, Hyeyeon Kim and Daewoung Kim; Additional reporting by Minwoo Park; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore

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