Jeonbuk Province Secures Record-High National Budget for Disaster Prevention Projects Next Year

Secured 68.5 Billion KRW... 9.5 Billion KRW, 16% Increase Compared to This Year

[Jeonju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Han-ho] Jeonbuk Province announced on the 9th that it has secured a record-high amount of 68.5 billion KRW in national funds for disaster prevention projects next year.

Budgets have been allocated to 128 districts across six areas, including comprehensive maintenance of flood and typhoon living zones, improvement of disaster risk zones, maintenance of steep slope collapse risk areas, establishment of early warning systems for disaster risk areas, and installation of stormwater retention facilities.

This amount is 9.5 billion KRW more and covers 20 more districts than this year's 59 billion KRW for 108 districts.

By category: △ Comprehensive maintenance of flood and typhoon living zones ? 6 districts, 11.8 billion KRW △ Improvement of disaster risk zones ? 32 districts, 31.3 billion KRW △ Maintenance of steep slope collapse risk areas ? 22 districts, 9.4 billion KRW △ Maintenance of disaster risk reservoirs ? 36 districts, 8.1 billion KRW △ Establishment of early warning systems ? 30 districts, 5.4 billion KRW △ Installation of stormwater retention facilities ? 2 districts, 2.5 billion KRW.

Among these, the projects for establishing early warning systems in disaster risk areas and maintenance of disaster risk reservoirs secured 13.5 billion KRW, accounting for 22% of the total 62.5 billion KRW, the highest among metropolitan local governments nationwide.

In particular, the maintenance project for disaster risk reservoirs had experienced delays of 2 to 3 years compared to the original plan due to annual delays in budget support from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, but during this year's National Assembly budget review stage, an additional 1.7 billion KRW was secured beyond the initial 6 billion KRW.

As a result, early completion is now possible for six districts including Namwon Gamdongje, Okjeonje, Gwaryeje, and Gochang Jeungsanje, Nasanje, Sansuje.

Kim Yang-won, Director of the Provincial Safety Office, said, “To secure next year’s national budget, we operated a consulting team with private experts to ensure the validity of national funding support, and actively worked together with the province, city and county governments, and local political circles to visit and persuade central government departments. We will do our best to eliminate risk factors from natural disasters in advance and protect the lives and property of residents.”

Jeonju=Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Han-ho stonepeak@asiae.co.kr