Special Disaster Areas Including Gwangju, Gokseong, and Damyang to Be Declared Soon... Prime Minister Jeong: "Will Act Quickly" (Comprehensive)

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun is attending a meeting to check the damage caused by heavy rain and the response to the typhoon at the Seoul Situation Center of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in the Government Seoul Office Building on the 10th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] The government is expected to additionally designate Gwangju Metropolitan City and Jeonnam's Gokseong and Damyang, which have suffered severe damage from heavy rains, as special disaster zones.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, at the heavy rain and typhoon situation briefing held at the Government Seoul Office on the 10th, said regarding special disaster zones, "It will help stabilize the residents of the affected areas to proactively declare special disaster zones in regions such as Jeonnam and Jeonbuk where significant damage has occurred," and instructed for swift procedures to be carried out.

On the 9th, Prime Minister Chung visited Gwangju, Gokseong, and Damyang, stating, "We plan to promptly declare these areas as special disaster zones so that recovery can begin as soon as possible and actively support to prevent similar hardships in the future."

Earlier, on the 7th, the government declared seven areas as special disaster zones: Anseong in Gyeonggi Province; Cheorwon in Gangwon Province; Chungju, Jecheon, and Eumseong in Chungbuk Province; and Cheonan and Asan in Chungnam Province.

Accordingly, these regions will receive 50 to 80% of the local government’s share of the recovery costs from the national treasury, depending on the financial independence of the local governments.

Prime Minister Chung expressed concern, saying, "Before the scars from the nationwide heavy rains have even healed, a typhoon is approaching, causing worry not only for the disaster victims but also for the public. Although Typhoon 'Jangmi' is small in size, its very fast movement speed is expected to cause significant damage due to strong winds."

He urged, "Jeju Island and the southern coastal areas within the typhoon's influence should thoroughly prepare for strong winds."

He also added, "The public should refrain from unnecessary outings or strenuous activities during strong winds or rain. Disaster response personnel on site should pay special attention to safety while performing duties such as surveillance, site control, and emergency rescue."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Chung plans to indefinitely postpone his summer vacation this week to focus on inspecting the heavy rain damage situation and directing recovery efforts. As heavy rain damage has increased nationwide and related accidents such as landslides, ship capsizing, and embankment collapses have occurred consecutively, he decided not to take a vacation. Since the beginning of this month, when the heavy rain damage worsened, Prime Minister Chung has been visiting sites almost daily to check the situation.