Controversy Over Hotel Accommodation Support for Ulsan Fire Victims... Blue House Petition Emerges
Ulsan City: "Measures Based on Legal Grounds to Prevent COVID-19 Spread"
Victims: "Hurt by Malicious Comments... Please Understand"
On the afternoon of the 8th, a fire broke out at a mixed-use residential and commercial apartment in Nam-gu, Ulsan. A helicopter was deployed to assist in the firefighting efforts. Photo by Yonhap News.
[Asia Economy reporters Seunggon Han and Juhee Kang] Ulsan City’s provision of hotel accommodation and meals to fire victims from a mixed-use apartment complex in Nam-gu has sparked a heated debate among citizens.
Citizens opposing the hotel support argue that "property damage should not be compensated with tax money." Some have even expressed strong reactions, questioning if the victims are "enjoying a hotel vacation." As a result, on the 10th, a petition demanding the withdrawal of hotel support was posted on the Blue House’s national petition board.
On the other hand, there are many who point out that hotel support was appropriate given the serious concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Ulsan City emphasized that this support was in accordance with the disaster relief procedure guidelines and was an unavoidable measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Earlier, on the 8th, a large fire broke out at a 33-story mixed-use apartment complex located in Nam-gu, Ulsan. The fire resulted in about 300 victims, and the city is supporting residents who lost their homes due to the fire by providing accommodation at business hotels.
Among them, 125 residents chose not to stay at the hotels arranged by the city and instead moved to other lodging facilities or nearby relatives’ homes. The remaining 175 are currently staying and dining at six hotels located in Nam-gu.
However, some citizens have expressed negative views, saying that providing hotel accommodation and meals to fire victims using tax money is inappropriate.
Netizens voiced opposition with comments such as, "Why try to solve property damage with tax money?", "Why provide hotels for fire victims?", and "It’s unfortunate they were harmed, but hotel support is excessive."
Amid divided opinions on whether to support the victims with hotel accommodation, petitions calling for the withdrawal of hotel support have also been posted on the Blue House petition board. On the 10th, related petitions such as "Ulsan Mayor, withdraw hotel accommodation support funded by tax money" and "Protect Ulsan City’s tax money" were posted one after another.
One petitioner pointed out, "This fire is not a natural disaster. When many people were affected by floods this summer, did they provide hotel accommodation and 8,000 won per meal? Even during natural disasters, it was a very difficult time due to COVID-19."
They continued, "During natural disasters, people are grateful even for gymnasium tents and meals provided by volunteers, but when a fire breaks out in a high-end apartment with insured private property, providing hotel accommodation and 8,000 won per meal with Ulsan City’s tax money is just absurd," demanding the withdrawal of support.
Conversely, there are also many voices concerned about the excessive criticism directed at the affected residents among some citizens.
One netizen said, "They lost their homes; do you think staying in a hotel makes the victims feel comfortable?" and added, "The criticism against the victims is too harsh. In this situation, temporary shelter was arranged in a place with high COVID-19 infection risk. If a confirmed case occurs, the problem could become even bigger."
A petition posted on the Blue House National Petition Board requesting not to use taxes to support fire disaster victims. / Photo by Blue House National Petition Board capture
In this regard, Ulsan City stated that the measures were appropriate considering the COVID-19 situation and the disaster relief procedure guidelines.
On the 10th, Ulsan Mayor Song Cheol-ho explained in a briefing, "This fire disaster overlapped with a disaster situation where COVID-19 prevention is necessary, and providing group living spaces such as gymnasiums poses a high risk of infectious disease transmission. Right now, the most important thing is how to protect the victims, and the issue of covering the expenses can be resolved later through claims once responsibility is determined."
On the 11th, the city also released a clarification stating that the support for victims was a lawful measure following legal procedures. According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s "Disaster Relief Fund Guidelines for Disaster Victims," victims of social disasters such as fires can receive up to 60,000 won per night for double occupancy accommodation and up to 8,000 won per meal.
The city explained that based on these guidelines, the fire victims in Ulsan are provided with a maximum of 84,000 won per day for accommodation and meals. It also noted that similar support was provided to victims of the wildfire in Ungchon-myeon, Ulju-gun in March this year, and to victims of Typhoons Maysak and Haishen last month under the same standards.
Meanwhile, the fire victims are reportedly suffering even more due to the influx of malicious comments on top of the fire damage.
An anonymous fire victim, Mr. A, appeared on CBS Radio’s "Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show" on the 12th and said, "Before experiencing this, I might have thought the support was excessive, but in reality, we lost all our possessions overnight and came out wearing only slippers, so the situation is truly bleak."
Mr. A explained, "Although it’s called a hotel, it’s practically a motel or inn. There are two beds and shower facilities in the room. Because of COVID-19, 200 to 300 people cannot gather in a hall, so the city seems to have chosen the cheapest option to support us. We also buy meals outside individually, and if we submit some receipts, the city reimburses part of the cost."
When asked if he would move if other accommodations were arranged, Mr. A said, "I would go. I’d rather go to a gymnasium. We never demanded a hotel."
He continued, "We were rescued after three hours. We fought for our lives and were saved. The children have cell phones and browse the internet, but there are many hurtful comments, so we are deeply wounded."
Regarding criticism that "you showed rough protests to officials at the meeting the day after the fire," he said, "That day, the fire had just happened, and the next day there was nothing left, so we felt desperate. That’s why our language was a bit heated. We did not actually protest against the firefighters. We are currently writing letters of thanks. We just hope for a little understanding."
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