Heavy Rainfall Averaging 170mm Across Gyeonggi... Flooding and Road Closures in Several Areas
President-Elect Kim Dong-yeon Cancels 'Handshake' Ceremony and Communication Meeting
Namyangju, Paju, and Hanam Cancel Inauguration Ceremonies... Disaster Situation Inspection
Kim Dong-yeon, the governor-elect of Gyeonggi Province, visited the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Disaster Situation Room on the 30th to check the response status. [Gyeonggi Governor-elect Transition Committee]
[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] On July 1, when the 8th term of the elected local government begins, Kim Dong-yeon, the governor-elect of Gyeonggi Province, along with some elected heads of basic local governments in the Gyeonggi area, canceled or simplified their inauguration ceremonies due to continuous damage caused by the monsoon rains.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on the 1st, the metropolitan area experienced over 170mm of heavy monsoon rain on the previous day (30th), causing houses and vehicles to be submerged and roads to be closed in many places, resulting in ongoing damage.
Governor-elect Kim Dong-yeon canceled all scheduled communication events with residents on the inauguration day, including the 'Handshake' reporting ceremony and the 'Handshake' communication meeting, due to the damage caused by the heavy rain.
Kim's office stated, "While we hope there will be no further major damage from the heavy rain, we are proactively canceling the events to avoid causing inconvenience to the invited residents and guests due to any possible damage overnight."
On the 1st, the day his term begins, Kim plans to visit the Disaster and Safety Situation Room at the provincial office to assess the situation and plans to visit affected areas on site.
Communication events with residents such as town hall meetings and communication sessions that were scheduled will be rescheduled and held at a later date.
Inauguration Committee Meeting Chaired by Joo Gwang-deok, Mayor-elect of Namyangju City [Mayoral Transition Committee]
Joo Gwang-deok, mayor-elect of Namyangju City, also canceled his inauguration ceremony to focus on disaster response due to the heavy rain.
Joo said, "Due to the need to prepare for the disaster situation, the inauguration ceremony was inevitably canceled. We will focus all efforts on ensuring citizen safety and will replace the ceremony with an online inauguration speech."
As his first official schedule, Joo plans to visit flood damage sites at 7 a.m. to check the damage and response status, and at 10 a.m., he will pay respects at the Namyangju Memorial Tower. The online inauguration speech will be broadcast live on YouTube at 11 a.m.
Kim Kyung-il, mayor-elect of Paju City, canceled the inauguration ceremony scheduled for the 1st at the Citizen Hall Grand Theater and decided to focus on disaster site inspections and citizen safety.
Kim said, "While the inauguration ceremony is important, citizen safety is a higher priority. We ask for understanding for any inconvenience caused by the sudden cancellation of the ceremony."
Instead of the inauguration ceremony, Kim plans to pay respects at the Memorial Tower, receive a situation report at the disaster situation room, and inspect disaster sites.
Lee Hyun-jae, the elected mayor of Hanam, is inspecting the site in preparation for heavy rain. [Hanam City]
Lee Hyun-jae, mayor-elect of Hanam City, canceled the inauguration ceremony that was to be held in the city hall plaza and decided to hold a simple ceremony with officials in the city hall auditorium.
A city official stated, "The essential inauguration ceremony will be held simply, and the mayor-elect's intention to visit flood damage sites and begin on-site administration led to this urgent decision."
Meanwhile, as of midnight on the 1st, rainfall amounts recorded were 306mm in Changsuwon, Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province; 302mm in Suwon; 298mm in Tanhyeon, Paju; 295mm in Gwangju, Gyeonggi; and 293.5mm in Jangheung-myeon, Yangju.
The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasted, "Although the heavy rain warning for the metropolitan area has been lifted, rain will continue in Seoul, Incheon, northern Gyeonggi, and the inland and mountainous areas of northern Gangwon until the 1st."
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