At least 31 people were dead or missing in South Korea after heavy monsoon rain pounded the country's eastern province for a third consecutive day, officials have said.

Torrential rain since Friday left at least 13 people killed in landslides and 18 missing in flash floods as of early Sunday, the National Emergency Management Agency said in an updated report.* Victims came mostly from the eastern province of Gangwon that had received up to 500 millimeters (20 inches) of rain in the past three days, it said.

More than 2,000 people remained homeless Sunday after the downpours flooded homes, swept away roads and inundated farmland and villages in the province, it said.* Police, military and disaster agencies have evacuated flood victims to schools and other safer areas, while airlifting relief to flood-hit areas.* Meteorologists expect the heavy rain to continue sporadically in South Korea until Thursday.