The Korea Forest Service(KFS) raised the landslide alert for central and southern provinces by a notch from the lowest "attention" to "caution" on the four-tier scale amid forecasts of downpours in the regions.

The state agency said that as of Monday morning, the second-lowest alert level is in place for the provinces of South Chungcheong and South Gyeongsang as well as North and South Jeolla, with heavy rains expected through Tuesday.

A KFS official urged the provincial residents to pay attention to emergency disaster text messages and to promptly evacuate to safety locations, such as community halls or schools, in the event of a disaster.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, 30 to 80 millimeters of precipitation has accumulated in the Chungcheong, Jeolla and Gyeongsang regions, with an additional 30 to 120 millimeters or more expected through Tuesday.