President Lee Jae Myung has declared 36 additional regions special disaster zones following last month's downpours nationwide.

As announced by presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung in a briefing on Wednesday, the declared regions affected by the heavy rains between July 16 and 20 include Asan, South Chungcheong Province and Buk District in the southwestern city of Gwangju.

Earlier, the president declared six cities and counties special disaster zones.

The spokesperson said that the administration had extended the reporting period for damage until Tuesday to prevent omission, while subdividing the regions to the lowest levels to provide state support to as many areas as possible.

Kang said the president also instructed officials to establish a plan for recovery in the affected regions and administer its budget in order to swiftly facilitate the residents' return to their daily lives.