Gokseong-gun, Brave Village Chief... Rescues 23 Residents from Flooded Area

The scene of flooding in Daepyeong-ri, Gokseong-eup Photo by Gokseong-gun Provided

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] On the 8th, Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do, suffered an unprecedented large-scale flood damage due to the overflow of the Seomjin River, flooding over 200 houses and thousands of hectares of farmland in Gokseong-eup alone. Amid this, the story of a village chief who selflessly saved 23 residents has become an inspiring example.

The protagonist is Kim Jaedeok (54), the village chief of Daepyeong 2-gu (Geumye Village) in Gokseong-eup.

When the Seomjin River began to overflow, he quickly announced evacuation through the village broadcast and evacuated residents three times using his own vehicle.

However, just as the evacuation to the shelter was concluding, he heard that two elderly villagers were still trapped in their flooded homes.

Ignoring the objections of those around him, Chief Kim, along with his friend Kim Heejun (54), returned to the flooded village and rescued the elderly. Since all escape routes were submerged, they moved to the village hall located on relatively higher ground.

Afterwards, he maintained continuous contact with the Gokseong-gun Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters, guiding and protecting an additional 13 residents from Geumye Village and nearby Daepyeong 1-gu who had not yet evacuated. He also immediately informed the rescue team of the location of three isolated households (6 people) in Daepyeong 1-gu that had not been rescued, facilitating a swift rescue.

At that time, as water quickly rose to the village hall, he evacuated the residents again to the roadside where flooding was less severe.

Eventually, when the rescue team arrived, he first put the elderly and villagers who had difficulty moving onto the boat and sent them off, then boarded the last boat with relatively younger residents and left the site.

A military official stated, “In the midst of the chaos with water rising from all directions, the story of Village Chief Kim Jaedeok, who saved 23 people with a spirit of self-sacrifice, has become a great hope for the residents of Gokseong-gun who were disheartened by the flood damage.”