Jeonnam Governor Kim Young-rok Inspects Flood Recovery Sites in Preparation for Typhoon and Heavy Rain

Urgent Recovery and Safety Accident Precautions Advised

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeonnam Province, inspected flood recovery sites in preparation for typhoons and heavy rain.

On the 23rd, according to Jeonnam Province, Governor Kim visited Munpyeongcheon in Naju, where damage occurred last year, inspected the site, and instructed for "perfect and prompt recovery to prevent repeated disasters."

This inspection followed the directive from the previous day's policy meeting of Jeonnam Province's department heads to conduct a large-scale inspection of sites at risk of disaster in preparation for summer typhoons and heavy rain.

Munpyeongcheon suffered damage last August due to concentrated heavy rain of about 400mm, including the collapse of a 430m embankment.

The province is promoting permanent recovery to prevent recurrence of disaster damage by investing 22.6 billion KRW in restoration, including embankment construction of 4600m, three bridges, three drop structures, and 5720m of drainage channels.

Due to the concentrated heavy rain last August, 246 public facilities in Jeonnam were damaged, and recovery is underway with a total budget of 915.4 billion KRW.

There are 2006 sites to be restored to their original state; by the end of this month, 95.5% or 1915 sites will have completed work, and the remaining 91 sites are planned to be finished by the end of next month.

Among 40 sites for improvement (permanent) recovery, construction is ongoing at 17 sites. The other 23 sites have completed administrative procedures such as environmental impact assessments and river basic plan changes, and projects will start in August and be completed by 2022.

Governor Kim said, "There is no guarantee that abnormal weather like last year will not occur this year, so we must prepare for natural disasters such as the rainy season and typhoons to an excessive degree," and instructed, "Coordinate with related agencies to take preemptive measures to prevent river embankment collapses caused by dam and reservoir discharges."

He also said, "Recently, a tragic accident occurred in Gwangju where a five-story building under demolition collapsed and crushed a city bus," and urged, "Accidents can happen anytime and anywhere, so please always pay attention to safety while carrying out recovery work."