Pohang City Surpasses 60,000 Applications for Earthquake Damage Support Funds... Deadline at End of August

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Jae-ho] Pohang City announced on the 3rd that the number of applications for victim recognition and compensation under the Special Act for the Investigation of the Pohang Earthquake and Damage Relief, which began on September 21 last year, has exceeded 60,000 as of May 31 this year.

The total number of applications received is 60,031. By category, there are 882 cases of human damage, 53,166 cases of housing damage, 3,812 small business owners, 221 small and medium-sized enterprises, 59 agricultural and livestock facilities, 186 religious facilities, and 1,705 cases of household goods and others. About 88% of the total damage reports are housing damage.

In particular, from March to May this year, when the Damage Relief Deliberation Committee decided on the first round of compensation, the number of applications received was 29,606 over three months, averaging about 470 cases per day. This is a 56% increase compared to the daily average of 300 cases from the start of applications in September last year to February this year.

The city has completed the payment of the first and second rounds of compensation. It is expected that the number of applications will increase further when the third round of compensation is paid at the end of June.

The deadline for victim recognition and compensation application submissions is the end of August. Pohang City is strengthening publicity regarding changes related to earthquake damage compensation support, such as raising the support limit for common areas of apartment complexes (from 1.2 billion to 5 billion KRW) and establishing support regulations for common areas of separately owned commercial buildings.

Do Byung-sul, Director of Disaster Prevention Policy Division, stated, "Applications for earthquake damage are possible not only for housing damage but also for items damaged by the earthquake in religious facilities, private childcare facilities, small workplaces, and others."