President Yoon Suk Yeol convened an emergency meeting of related agencies on Tuesday to review the damage from Monday's heavy downpours and called for swift recovery efforts.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, Yoon expressed deep regret over the casualties resulting from the rainfall and ordered related agencies and local governments to boost their emergency operation systems to prevent further casualties.

With the Seoul metro area projected to see large amounts of rain for the time being, Yoon ordered authorities to thoroughly restrict passage to areas prone to flooding, including underpasses, riversides and low-lying areas that have often become inundated with water.

He also ordered authorities to evacuate residents in areas prone to mudslides and areas that have been devastated by forest fires.

Yoon stressed that protecting the lives and assets of the people is a government's most fundamental task and duty before instructing related agencies and local governments to remain vigilant.

Yoon’s remarks came a day after Prime Minister Han Duck-soo convened an emergency meeting and raised the government's storm and flood damage crisis level from “vigilance” to “alert.”