List of disasters in South Korea by death toll

This list of South Korean disasters by death toll includes major disasters (excluding acts of war) that occurred on South Korean soil or involved South Korean citizens, in a definable incident, where the loss of life was 10 or more.

200 or more deaths

FatalitiesYearArticleTypeLocationComments200,000+1918-1920Spanish fluPandemicNationwideThe Spanish flu occurred prior to the 1945 division of Korea and affected the entire peninsula, which means that this estimated death toll is for the entirety of Korea. No accurate estimate exists only for deaths that happened in what is now South Korea.35,9342020-presentCOVID-19 pandemic in South KoreaPandemicNationwide10,1811945-19461945-46 Cholera outbreakDisease outbreakNationwide1,2321936Typhoon 3693TyphoonSouthwestern South Korea1,000-14,0002011-2016Humidifier disinfectant illnessHealth disasterNationwide8491959Typhoon SarahTyphoonSoutheastern South Korea5501972Typhoon BettyTyphoonMost of South Korea5021995Sampoong Department Store collapseBuilding collapseSeoul3231953Ship sinkingOffshore of Busan3112014Sinking of the MV SewolShip sinkingOffshore of Geochagundo, South JeollaThe sinking itself killed 304 passengers and crew, seven emergency/rescue personnel died following the initial sinking and are included in the final death toll.2921993Sinking of the MV SeohaeShip sinkingOffshore of Buan County, North Jeolla2462002Typhoon RusaTyphoonMost of South Korea209 (South Koreans)1997Korean Air Flight 801Plane crashNimitz Hill, Guam

100 to 199 deaths

FatalitiesYearArticleTypeLocationComments1922003Daegu subway fireArsonDaegu1911971Daeyeonggak Hotel fireBuilding fireSeoul1792024Jeju Air Flight 2216Plane crashMuan County, South Jeolla17020092009 swine flu pandemicPandemicNationwide1631990FloodHan River basinThe 37 missing people are included in the death toll1592022Seoul Halloween crowd crushCrowd surgeSeoul1591974Ship sinkingOffshore of Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang1401963Ship sinkingOffshore of Mokpo, South Jeolla1391981Typhoon AgnesTyphoonSouthern South Korea1371969-19701969-70 Cholera outbreakDisease outbreakNationwide1361979Typhoon JudyTyphoonSouthern South Korea1322003Typhoon MaemiTyphoonSoutheast South Korea1292002Air China Flight 129Plane crashBusan1101963Typhoon ShirleyTyphoonSouthern South Korea105 (South Koreans)1983Korean Air Lines Flight 007Plane shootdownOffshore of Sakhalin, USSR10119951995 Daegu gas explosionsGas explosionDaegu

99 to 10 deaths

FatalitiesYearIncident NameTypeLocationComments972002Typhoon RammasunTyphoonCentral South Korea931967Ship collisionOffshore of Gadeokdo, Busan90+1991Tropical Storm Gladys (1991)Tropical cycloneHonam and Yeongnam8920152015 MERS outbreak in South KoreaOutbreakNationwide881974Daewang Corner fireBuilding fireSeoul801971Cheongpyeong Dam Bus crashBus crashGapyeongNews Article link7720112011 Seoul floodsFlash floodsSeoul and GangwonThe eight officially missing people are included in the death toll.75 (South Koreans)1989Korean Air Flight 803Plane crashnear Tripoli, Libya731945Train accidentDaegu731987Typhoon DinahTyphoonSouth and Eastern South KoreaMissing people are included in the death toll681993Asiana Airlines Flight 733Plane crashHaenam County, South Jeolla6719591959 Busan crowd crushCrowd surgeBusan631982Typhoon CecilTyphoonMost of South Korea591977Iri Station explosionTrain accidentIksan, North Jeolla5720202020 Korea floodsFloodsNationwideThe 12 officially missing people are included in the death toll561999Building fireSeoul561954Train collisionOsan, Gyeonggi551981Train collisionDaegu5319821982 Korean Air Force C-123 crashPlane crashHallasan, Jeju521960Building fireBusan50-601996FloodsCentral and northern South Korean5020232023 South Korea floodsFloodsNorth Chungcheong and North GyeongsangOfficially missing people are included in the death toll501996Typhoon YeniTyphoonSouthern South Korea461970Train collisionSouth Chungcheong462010ROKS Cheonan sinkingShip sinkingOffshore of Baengnyeongdo, Incheon441979Mine accidentMungyeong, North Gyeongsang421955Train fireBusan412018Miryang hospital fireBuilding fireMiryang, South Gyeongsang411969Train collisionCheonan, South Chungcheong4020082008 Icheon fireBuilding fireIcheon, Gyeonggi3920202020 Icheon fireBuilding fireIcheon, Gyeonggi381984Building fireBusan371995ArsonYongin, Gyeonggi361987Ship fireGeoje, South Gyeongsang341970Building collapseSeoul341993Building fireNonsan, South Chungcheong331978Typhoon CarmenTyphoonNationwide321994Seongsu Bridge disasterBridge collapseSeoul321973Train accidentSeoul311960Crowd surgeSeoul301970Typhoon BillieTyphoonWestern South Korea302025March 2025 South Korea wildfiresWildfireSouth and central South Korea301994Ship fireChungju Lake, North Chungcheong292017Jecheon building fireBuilding fireJecheon, North Chungcheong281974Typhoon GildaTyphoonSoutheast South Korea271998Building fireBusan271971Typhoon OliveTyphoonSoutheastern South Korea261979Mine accidentJeongseon County, Gangwon26 (South Koreans)2019Hableány disasterShip sinkingBudapest, Hungary251990Bus crashSeoul251970Bus crashGimcheon, North Gyeongsang232024Hwaseong battery factory fireBuilding fireHwaseong, Gyeonggi231999Sealand Youth Training Center FireBuilding fireHwaseong, Gyeonggi212014Jangseong Nursing Home FireBuilding fireJangseong County, Honam211990Bus crashInje County, Gangwon211968Ship sinkingSeocheon County, Hoseo2020222022 South Korea floodsFloodsCentral South KoreaOfficially missing people are included in the death toll201971Train accidentNamwon, North Jeolla202001Bus crashJinju, South Gyeongsang201993ExplosionYeoncheon County, Seoul191988Cheonho Bridge bus crashBus crashSeoul191974Building fireSeoul191976Train accidentSeoul182015Sinking of DolgoraeShip sinkingOffshore of the Chuja Islands181977Train collisionOkcheon County, Hoseo172008Ship sinkingOffshore of Macau171973Bus crashSeoul17 (South Koreans)20042004 Boxing Day tsunamiTsunamiSoutheast Asia162007Ship collisionOffshore of Dangjin, South Chungcheong162014Pangyo Techno Valley vent collapseFestival accidentSeongnam, Gyeonggi161968Ship sinkingMokpo, South Jeolla161980Korean Air Lines Flight 015Plane crashSeoul152017Ship collisionOngjin County, Incheon151992ArsonWonju, Gangwon152009Building fireBusan142024Ship sinkingBiyangdo, JejuOfficially missing people are included in the death toll141970Train collisionWonju, Gangwon141989Helicopter crashnear Ulleungdo, North Gyeongsang132007Typhoon NariTyphoonJeju132011LandslideChuncheon, Gangwon122019Ship fireOffshore of Jeju122010Bus crashIncheon121977Mine disasterJangseong County, Honam121994Gas explosionSeoul122011Typhoon MeariTyphoonWest coast of South Korea122003Building fireCheongdo County, North Gyeongsang112005Crowd surgeSangju, North Gyeongsang111982Cave-inSeoul1020142014 South Korea floodsFloodsHonam and Yeongnam101980Typhoon NorrisTyphoonNationwide101982Building fireDaegu102014Building collapseGyeongju, North Gyeongsang102016Bus fireUlsan10 (South Koreans)2015Bus crashTonghua, Jilin Province, China101978Health disasterSeoul102010Building firePohang, North Gyeongsang102007Building fireYeosu, South Jeolla102001Building fireGwangju, Gyeonggi Gallery

See also List of man-made disasters in South Korea References