The spread of monsoon rainfall to the upper regions of the country has prompted the government to elevate the crisis alert level from “attention” to “caution.”

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said "Level One" of the emergency response by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters was mobilized from 3 a.m. Monday.

The measures came as heavy rain advisories that were initially in place for Jeju and southern coastal regions on Sunday were also issued in South Chungcheong and North Jeolla provinces early Monday morning.

The headquarters called on related agencies to prevent human access to the areas potentially subject to floods and landslides and to swiftly rescue residents and visitors in danger.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, by Tuesday most of the regions in the nation will see heavy rain of 20 to 40 millimeters per hour accompanied by gusts, thunder and lightning.