Cars were washed away by flash floods following an intense downpour in South Korea.

Footage shows a heavily inundated road, with raging floodwaters disrupting travel in Gwangju on July 17.

Several vehicles were also seen floating through the submerged streets.

Authorities warned residents to avoid low-lying areas and to remain indoors as heavy rains continued across the region.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety reported that parts of the South Chungcheong region, south of the capital Seoul, had recorded over 400 millimetres of rainfall in less than 24 hours as of 11 am local time on Thursday.

Officials confirmed that the extreme weather had claimed at least two lives and forced the evacuation of more than 1,000 residents.

Landslide warnings were raised to the highest level across several areas, including Chungcheong, as the heavy rain continued.