Lee Jae-myung "Proposes Rapid Financial Support for Affected Citizens to Government"
Park Yong-jin "Socially Vulnerable More at Risk in Disaster Situations, Please Prioritize Care"
On the night of the 8th, the road near Jinhung Apartment in Seocho-gu, Seoul, was flooded. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Regarding the heavy rain in the Seoul metropolitan area, the opposition party urged the government to prioritize the safety of citizens. Criticism was also directed at President Yoon Suk-yeol for not visiting the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters due to flood damage the previous day during the heavy rain situation.
On this day, Park Hong-geun, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "A record-breaking heavy rain of up to 400mm poured down, causing a tragedy with 7 deaths and 6 missing persons in Seoul and Gyeonggi areas. What is more worrisome is that there are forecasts that such conditions may continue within this week," adding, "The government must maintain the response system with related agencies and make every effort to prevent casualties." He continued, "The Democratic Party will also do its best for recovery and damage prevention in the Seoul metropolitan area and central Gangwon region," and said, "Above all, we will do our utmost to ensure citizen safety and damage recovery."
Park Yong-jin, a candidate challenging for the Democratic Party leadership, said on SNS, "Many citizens are heavy on my mind amid a record-breaking deluge not seen in 80 years," and reported, "Citizens trapped on buses for hours unable to go home, children stuck in academies, office workers who gave up going home due to heavy rain and booked cheap nearby hotels, flooded shops, and flooded houses are all being reported." He added, "Socially vulnerable people cannot easily escape disasters and calamities until they are right in front of them," urging, "Related ministries and local governments such as Seoul City should prioritize vulnerable areas and vulnerable groups affected by flooding and heavy rain."
Lee Jae-myung, a Democratic Party leadership candidate, said, "We must pay special and more meticulous attention to the safety of disaster-vulnerable citizens such as residents in semi-basements, elderly living alone, and residents in dangerous areas," and "I request the government to provide support for farmers affected by the heavy rain and rapid financial support such as disaster relief funds for households and buildings damaged by flooding. I also hope that the declaration of special disaster areas and the increase of disaster relief funds will be actively considered." Lee added, "Since heavy rain is expected to continue for several days, thorough preparation for future situations is necessary to prevent additional damage along with recovery," and said, "It is time to mobilize the full government capabilities, including central and local governments, to respond."
Criticism also continued regarding President Yoon’s inability to visit the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters due to flooding around his residence the previous day.
Democratic Party lawmaker Han Jun-ho said on SNS, "If you were worried about heavy rain damage, you should not have left work. Do you have the will to govern?" and added, "How can we entrust the lives of the people to a president who cannot even properly go to work due to heavy rain? It is very pathetic."
In a phone interview with Asia Economy, lawmaker Han pointed out, "The president should be able to be on-site during emergencies like heavy rain, but he was not able to do so yesterday." It is known that President Yoon tried to visit the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and the damage sites related to the concentrated heavy rain in the Seoul metropolitan area the previous day, but due to flooding on roads near his residence, vehicle movement was difficult, so he received reports and gave instructions from home while monitoring the heavy rain situation. On that day, President Yoon chaired an emergency countermeasure meeting at the Seoul Situation Center of the Central Disaster and Safety Situation Room in the Government Seoul Office Building in the morning.
Democratic Party leadership candidate Kang Hoon-sik said, "In a national disaster situation where every second counts, the president, who should be the overall disaster manager, could not come to work because of rain," and criticized, "Only three months ago, when the Blue House was moved to the Yongsan office, it was confidently said that there would be no problems with national security. How will the president be able to access the bunker and fulfill the role of control tower in future emergencies?"
Jang Kyung-tae, a Democratic Party Supreme Council candidate, also criticized, "Did the Yoon Suk-yeol government not anticipate the heavy rain?" and said, "President Yoon showed the public an absurd situation where he could not even leave his home due to flooding around his residence during the disaster situation."
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