EFFORTS TO RESTORE TYPHOON DAMAGES

[Anchor Lead]

Pohang and Gyeongju have borne the brunt of the recent typhoon. Residents are trying hard to restore their hometowns, but there's no end in sight.

[Pkg]

A town in Gyeongju. Home to some 70 households. It's been inundated by water from a nearby river when some parts of the stream embankment broke due to heavy rain of over 100mm per hour. A large container dangles precariously on a bridge for pedestrians. Houses have been destroyed and covered in mud. Windows are broken. Locals broke them to remove waist-high water inside. Some do laundry with water flowing from a broken water pipe. The residents are devastated to have lost homes overnight. Small excavators and trucks are deployed to remove mud and debris, but progress is slow.

[Soundbite] Park Tae-hwa(Amgok-dong Resident) : "It's awful. I can't express in words. I trembled in horror for a couple of hours. It's going to take months to restore this area, even if the city authorities help."

This waterfront area in Pohang is home to residential buildings. Clumps of trees, pillars, benches and bricks brought by the typhoon can be seen all around. With dikes broken and washed away, some of the structures' foundations are exposed. The locals say it's been a traumatic experience and a life-threatening situation they've never faced before.

[Soundbite] Yang Tae-hee(Pohang Resident) : "As I saw the water rise, I thought it would be the end. I climbed onto the rooftop. I didn't know what to do. It's devastating."

The typhoon has passed but it left lasting damage to properties and adversely impacted peoples' lives.