[News Today] Flood recovery work still ongoing

[LEAD]
Starting Tonight, monsoon rains are forecast to reach the hit Korean peninsular central region as well. But recovery is far from over in areas devastated by last year's record downpours. With restoration still incomplete in many parts, fears are growing that this summer's rains could bring new damage.

[REPORT]
Following downpours of over 100 millimeters per hour overnight, muddy water has covered this town and farmland inundated.

A commercial warehouse that was flooded is filled with obsolete items that can no longer be used.

Sung Baek-cheol / Buyeo-gun resident
It was intimidating. Though it's in the past, I'm still scared if it rains a lot.

At a village stream where embankments collapsed every monsoon season, restoration work involving heavy equipment is still ongoing.

The work seeks to expand the width of the waterway to accommodate greater volume.

The operation is expected to conclude next month, which would be around the end of the rainy season.

All this is because of delays in construction design, land compensation as well as permit and approval processes.

Residents are frustrated, with this year's monsoon just around the corner.

Park Sang-joon / Buyeo-gun resident
I'm always worried about where I should evacuate to when it rains.

In this town where dikes were also destroyed, work is underway to raise their height but locals are worried whether they can safely make it through the upcoming monsoon.

Daejeon resident/
Things change every year. There's such a heavy downpour. Even with construction work completed there's no guarantee if that will be enough to ensure safety.

In the Chungnam region where six cities and counties were designated as disaster zones last year, flood damage restoration work is not even 80% complete.