President Yoon Suk Yeol has given a warning to Environment Minister Han Wha-jin over poor water management blamed for leading to the deaths of dozens of people in recent downpours, officials said Wednesday.

Yoon told Han to "properly carry out water management duties" during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, saying environmental protection is important, but people's lives and safety are even more important, according to the officials who attended the meeting.

Han replied that she would "bear that in mind," the officials said.

Recent downpours have killed at least 44 people and forced thousands more to evacuate in the country's central and southern regions since last week, according to authorities.

Yoon has reportedly taken issue with the lack of implementation of his instructions last year to run digital simulations on water systems and share relevant data between ministries.

"The bottoms of rivers and streams have become so high that there needs to be dredging," a presidential official said. "Some experts say that if the environment ministry can't properly handle it, it should be transferred to the land ministry."

Under the previous administration of President Moon Jae-in, water management responsibilities were transferred from the land ministry to the environment ministry as part of efforts to create a single oversight authority.

The government and the ruling People Power Party are reportedly planning to meet soon to discuss effective water management measures. (Yonhap)