Ahn Cheol-soo: "It Is Time to Consider Raising Wildfire Disaster Relief Funds to Reflect Reality"

Ahn Cheol-soo, Chairman of the Presidential Transition Committee, is arriving at the Transition Committee office in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 5th. Photo by Transition Committee Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] Ahn Cheol-soo, the chairman of the Presidential Transition Committee, has ordered a review of the increase in wildfire disaster relief funds.

On the morning of the 5th, Chairman Ahn attended a secretariat meeting held at his office in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, and said, "It is hard to understand how the Republic of Korea, one of the world's top 10 economies, can continue to rely on public donations to help disaster victims."

He emphasized, "Voluntary donations are just heartwarming stories and cannot and should not replace the government's responsibilities," adding, "It is time to consider raising the wildfire disaster relief funds to reflect the current reality." He also added, "There may be similar issues in other areas, and it is our duty to identify these as well."

According to Chairman Ahn, the support funds for disaster victims affected by wildfires are set at 16 million KRW for housing costs and 480,000 KRW per person for relief expenses. He pointed out, "I was breathless when I learned this. How can one build a house with 16 million KRW?" and continued, "Temporary containers smaller than 8 pyeong (approximately 26.4 square meters) can only be lived in free of charge for two years, so how can those who lost their fields and farming tools in the fire manage to raise money and build new homes during that time?"

Chairman Ahn explained, "The fundamental spirit of the national system in this era should be rationality, not rigidity that blindly follows established regulations," and added, "If times change, prices rise, and citizens' living environments change, it is reasonable to increase housing support accordingly."

He also stressed that, as experts point out the increasing likelihood of frequent large-scale wildfires due to climate change, it is time to consider equipping with ▲mountain firefighting vehicles, helicopters capable of transporting water, and automatic spraying devices linked with GPS, and ▲introducing firefighting aircraft such as B-747s and super tanks for effective fire suppression. Chairman Ahn added, "The transition committee will strive to identify and change these detailed issues."