SEOUL • At least 26 people have died after 46 days of heavy rains in South Korea, with the country's longest monsoon in seven years causing more flooding, landslides and evacuations yesterday.

More than 3,000 people had been evacuated as at 6am local time yesterday, according to Ministry of the Interior and Safety data.

Eleven people are missing.

About 100m of levee collapsed at the Seomjin River in the southern edge of the peninsula yesterday and flooded the area, an official in South Jeolla province said, with around 1,900 people evacuated in the province, including about 500 from around the river.

The country's forestry agency has raised landslide warnings to their highest level in every region except the holiday island of Jeju.

Five homes were buried in a landslide on Friday from a mountain behind a village in Gokseong, South Jeolla province, killing five people.

Three people have been rescued.

In neighbouring North Korea, state media KCNA reported that Mr Pak Pong Ju, vice-chairman of the state's highest decision-making commission, inspected flood damage to submerged fields and crops in south-west regions of the country.

REUTERS