Tragic Night in Sejong: 40-Year-Old Man Missing After Being Swept Away by Flood Waters - Police Response Under Scrutiny

The Tragic Night That Shocked Sejong City

Heavy rainfall hit Sejong City on the night of July 16-17, 2025, creating a disaster that would capture national attention and raise serious questions about emergency response protocols. What started as a company dinner among colleagues ended in tragedy when a 40-year-old man from Cheongju was swept away by the rapidly rising waters of Jecheon stream in downtown Sejong. The incident has since sparked intense debate about police procedures and disaster management, with communities across Korea questioning whether this tragedy could have been prevented.

The victim, identified only as Mr. G, had been enjoying a work dinner with colleagues in Naseong-dong, Sejong City, on the evening of July 16. Little did anyone know that this ordinary social gathering would end in such devastating circumstances. As heavy rain began to fall and flood warnings were issued, Mr. G attempted to make his way home in the early hours of July 17, unaware that he was walking into a deadly situation that would leave his family and the entire community in anguish.

The Timeline of Events: From Dinner to Disaster

The sequence of events that led to this tragedy has been meticulously reconstructed through CCTV footage and witness accounts, painting a chilling picture of how quickly things went wrong. At 1:45 AM on July 17, police received a report about a drunk pedestrian walking in the rain with his shirt off. Officers from the Cheongsa District Police Station of Sejong Nambu Police Station responded to the call and found Mr. G walking in the heavy rain at 1:53 AM.

The police officers took Mr. G to a nearby underground parking garage to get him out of the rain. After confirming his identity, they offered to escort him home, but Mr. G declined, saying he would make his own way back. The officers sent a text message to his wife explaining the situation and then let him go alone. This decision would later become the center of intense criticism and debate about police protocols during extreme weather events.

Just four minutes after parting ways with the police, at 2:21 AM, CCTV cameras captured Mr. G heading toward the Jecheon stream walking path. The footage shows him descending the slope toward the stream, where he was swept away by the rapidly rising flood waters. At that moment, Sejong City was experiencing torrential rainfall of approximately 50mm per hour, creating extremely dangerous conditions that turned the normally peaceful urban stream into a raging torrent.

The Search and Rescue Operation: A Massive Mobilization

When Mr. G's wife reported him missing at 8:40 PM on July 17, police immediately began analyzing CCTV footage to trace his movements. The investigation revealed that his last known location was 19 hours earlier than the missing person report, near Dajeong Bridge in Naseong-dong. Once authorities confirmed that Mr. G had been swept away by flood waters, a massive search and rescue operation was launched.

The search effort has been extensive and ongoing, involving multiple agencies and significant resources. Police and fire authorities have deployed a helicopter from Chungnam Police Agency, two drones, boats, and between 50-60 personnel including police officers and firefighters. The search area has extended from the initial incident site to the Han River, as authorities work around the clock to locate Mr. G.

Despite the comprehensive search efforts involving both aerial and water-based operations, Mr. G remains missing as of the third day of the search. The challenging conditions, including continued high water levels and strong currents, have made the rescue operation particularly difficult. Search teams have been working in shifts, carefully combing through the river system while hoping for any sign of the missing man.

Community Reactions and Online Discourse

The incident has generated significant discussion across Korean online communities, with users expressing a mix of sympathy for the victim's family and criticism of the authorities' response. On popular platforms like The Qoo, Nate Pann, and Instiz, users have been particularly critical of the police decision to let an intoxicated person walk alone during a severe weather event.

Many commenters have pointed out that during a heavy rain warning, police should have taken additional precautions to ensure the safety of intoxicated individuals. Comments such as 'How could they let a drunk person walk alone in that weather?' and 'This was completely preventable' have dominated the discussion threads. Some users have also criticized the delayed response, noting that it took nearly 19 hours for authorities to realize what had actually happened.

The online community has also expressed frustration with what they perceive as a lack of accountability from the authorities. Many users are calling for changes in police protocols during severe weather events, arguing that more proactive measures should be taken to protect vulnerable individuals. The incident has become a symbol of what many see as systemic issues in Korea's emergency response procedures.

Institutional Response and the Blame Game

The handling of this incident by various government agencies has become a source of significant controversy, raising questions about coordination and responsibility during natural disasters. Perhaps most troubling is the revelation that despite being in emergency response mode due to the heavy rainfall, Sejong City officials were not immediately informed about the missing person incident.

According to reports, a fire department official notified the Sejong City Disaster Safety Headquarters situation room about Mr. G's disappearance at 2:02 AM on July 18. However, the situation room determined that this was not a natural disaster-related incident and did not report it up the chain of command. This decision meant that city leadership remained unaware of the incident until much later.

When Sejong City's situation room contacted police at 5:35 AM on July 18 to inquire about natural disaster damage, police initially reported no damage. Just 11 minutes later, police called back to report the missing person incident, but described it as a simple missing person case, not a flood-related incident. This classification meant that Mr. G was not included in the official flood casualty count as of 9 AM on July 18, highlighting significant gaps in inter-agency communication and disaster response protocols.

The Broader Implications for Disaster Management

This tragic incident has exposed serious flaws in Korea's disaster response system, particularly regarding the coordination between different agencies and the classification of incidents during natural disasters. The fact that multiple authorities were unaware of a flood-related missing person case for an entire day, despite being on high alert for exactly these types of incidents, has raised fundamental questions about the effectiveness of current emergency protocols.

President Lee Jae-myung's repeated emphasis on proactive and sensitive disaster safety responses makes this incident particularly embarrassing for the authorities involved. The case has become a textbook example of what critics describe as a human-made disaster - a situation where better protocols and communication could have potentially saved a life or at least ensured a more rapid response.

The incident also highlights the complex challenges faced by emergency responders during natural disasters. While police officers made a judgment call based on their assessment of the situation at the time, the tragic outcome demonstrates the need for more comprehensive training and clearer guidelines for dealing with intoxicated individuals during severe weather events. As the search for Mr. G continues, this case serves as a stark reminder of how quickly natural disasters can turn deadly and the critical importance of effective emergency response systems in protecting public safety.