Gokseong-gun Cancels All Public Officials' Leave to Participate in Flood Recovery Efforts

Full Cancellation of Summer Vacation for Gokseong County Officials from August 10 to 14

Active Support from Jeonnam Provincial Office, 31st Division, Gokseong Police Station, Nonghyup, and Women's Association Council

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] From the 7th to the 8th, Gokseong-gun experienced unprecedented heavy rainfall with a maximum of 555mm (Okgwa-myeon) and an average of 429mm, causing numerous casualties and property damage. In response, all Gokseong-gun employees canceled their summer vacations and engaged in flood recovery efforts.

According to Gokseong-gun on the 10th, as of the 9th, six lives were lost due to landslides and rapid currents, and about 120 houses (5 completely destroyed, 5 partially destroyed, about 110 flooded) were damaged.

Additionally, agricultural damage currently includes 700 facility greenhouses, 420 hectares of flooded rice paddies and field crops, and livestock farms suffered losses amounting to 17.2 billion KRW, including 1,113 Korean cattle and dairy cows and 89,000 ducks across 34 farms. Furthermore, public facilities such as water supply systems, roads, drainage channels, and reservoirs were also damaged.

Due to the severe damage, Gokseong-gun dispatched all employees to flood sites, leaving only 2 to 3 people per department. Employees who had planned summer vacations from the 10th to the 14th were instructed to cancel them. They were assigned to Gokseong-eup, Ogok-myeon, Godal-myeon, Okgwa-myeon, Ip-myeon, and Gyeom-myeon to clean up deceased ducks and organize flooded houses.

In response to the unprecedented flood, the Jeonnam Provincial Office, the 31st Division, and Gokseong Police Station also joined forces for recovery efforts. On August 10th, the Jeonnam Provincial Office dispatched 200 employees to assist at flood sites, with 100 personnel from the 31st Division and 70 from the Gokseong Police Station participating.

Local residents also actively stepped forward to help flood victims. The Gokseong-gun Women's Association is volunteering by providing food at evacuation shelters. Local agricultural cooperatives provided trucks to quickly deliver relief supplies.

Seokgok Nonghyup and Okgwa Nonghyup each donated 500kg of Baeksemi rice and 50 servings of kimbap as relief supplies. In response to this support, Yangmalnam, the head of the 6th district in the remote Ogok-myeon area, provided 30 servings of breakfast and lunch to emergency workers and volunteers, taking care of one another.

Help also came from other regions. The Hamyang Disaster Relief Association delivered 1,663 relief items including floor mats, blankets, and partitions across six categories.

A Gokseong-gun public official, Mr. A, involved in flood recovery said, “Seeing the severe flood damage left me speechless. I believe that in difficult times like this, we must unite to prevent further damage. With many people working together, I trust we will overcome this well.”