Water volume in a local stream in Daejeon gets bigger due to heavy overnight rains, Saturday. Yonhap

Heavy overnight rain across Korea triggered landslides and flooding, forcing the evacuation of more than 500 people in southern regions Saturday as roads and buildings were submerged.

Heavy rain warnings were in effect across the southern Gyeongsang region and parts of Gangwon, Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces as of Saturday morning, with up to 60 millimeters of more rainfall expected, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters reported that 506 people from 342 households in North and South Gyeongsang provinces, Busan and South Chungcheong Province were evacuated as of 4 a.m. due to the heavy rain.

The majority of them, 436, were residents of North Gyeongsang Province.

Most of the evacuees — 494 people from 330 households — remained displaced, taking shelter in temporary or community facilities, the government said.

Streets are flooded due to heavy rain in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, Friday. Yonhap

Heavy rain also flooded 54 sections of public roads, leading to seven incidents of soil loss and the collapse of a retaining wall.

A total of 10 private houses were also inundated, impacting more than 10 private facilities, such as stores and factories.

As of Saturday morning, 38 sections of roads in Gangwon and South Gyeongsang provinces and other areas, along with 41 underground roadways, were blocked due to safety concerns. Additionally, 430 sections of 17 national parks across the nation remained inaccessible.

The interior ministry raised the heavy rain warning level from "caution" to "alert."

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo urgently instructed officials to mobilize all available administrative resources to mitigate rain damage and prepare for further heavy rainfall due to the approaching tropical cyclone Pulasan on the southern coast.

"In cases of anticipated damage, police and firefighters should cooperate to preemptively evacuate residents, while public employees should be dispatched to areas at risk of flooding until the heavy rainfall subsides," he said. (Yonhap)

People and firefighters watch the water level rising in an alley in Busan that has been pounded by heavy rainfall since Friday. Yonhap