The government has designated seven of the central regions hit hardest by the latest downpours as special disaster zones. 

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on Friday, the seven cities and counties, including Anseong in Gyeonggi Province and Cheorwon County in Gangwon Province, will be entitled to central government assistance for up to 80 percent of the costs incurred by torrential rains. 

The other regions to benefit from the emergency state assistance are Chungju, Jecheon and Eumseong County in North Chungcheong Province and Cheonan and Asan in South Chungcheong Province.  

The declaration of such zones usually requires at least two weeks of reviews, but this time deliberations were shortened to just three days since President Moon Jae-in and Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun called for swift measures to assist those affected by the latest rain-caused havoc. 

The ministry plans to look into the situations of other regions and designate more areas if necessary. 

As of 6 a.m. Friday, 17 people were killed, 10 went missing and around two-thousand-500 people have been displaced due to the heavy rains that have ravaged the greater Seoul area and other central regions since late last week.