Pohang City, Striving for 'Hope' Recovery After Deep Wounds Caused by Typhoon

Typhoon 'Hinnamno' Damage Recovery Public Appeal... Request for Pump Support

Naengcheon Hometown River Maintenance Project Initial Plan Flood Volume Increased from 580t to 665t

Mayor Lee Kang-deok of Pohang pledges to make every effort to overcome the damage caused by the typhoon and build a safer city.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Dong-guk] Pohang City, Gyeongbuk, is making every effort to recover to daily life, overcoming the deep wounds caused by unprecedented damage from Typhoon No. 11 ‘Hinnamnor’.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok, in a briefing on the damage status and recovery plan for Typhoon No. 11 ‘Hinnamnor’ on the 8th, said, “I express my deep condolences and sympathy to the victims and bereaved families of the typhoon, and we will spare no effort in supporting the bereaved families and aiding the disaster victims. We will conduct thorough damage investigations, swiftly restore facilities, and prepare permanent flood and wind disaster prevention measures.”

This typhoon, which recorded the highest rainfall in the past 20 years (daily maximum 541mm, hourly maximum 116.5mm), caused 9 deaths and 1 missing person in Pohang, and currently, 322 disaster victims are evacuated in 77 shelters.

As of the 8th, a provisional tally shows 1,841 cases of public facility damage including road destruction, river erosion, and landslides; 12,188 cases of private facility damage including 8,500 houses and 3,550 commercial buildings; and agricultural damage over 1,950 hectares.

Among 279 companies in the Pohang Steel Industrial Complex, including POSCO and Hyundai Steel, 100 companies suffered major damage such as flooding and suspension of operations, with estimated damages exceeding 1.8 trillion KRW. Considering the ripple effects on partner companies, the impact on the local economy is expected to be enormous.

To recover from the damage, the city plans to focus first on supporting victims and aiding disaster victims, while also conducting thorough damage investigations, promoting rapid facility restoration, and recommending to the government the prompt establishment of infrastructure for permanent flood and wind disaster prevention.

In this regard, the city will honor the deceased and missing persons, do its utmost to provide disaster relief funds and donations to disaster victims, ensure no neglect in housing stability and relief supplies support, and operate an on-site support team for the swift assistance of residents in heavily affected areas.

Additionally, the city will thoroughly implement follow-up measures following the declaration of a special disaster area on the 7th, ensure disaster relief funds are provided as soon as possible, and mobilize all administrative power to secure additional special grants.

Based on close cooperation among volunteers, military personnel, and public officials, all available means will be mobilized to accelerate rapid facility restoration, and meticulous on-site inspections will be conducted to prevent blind spots in damage reporting, especially among vulnerable groups.

Due to the regional characteristics of Pohang, located in the lower reaches of the Hyeongsan River, severe damage occurs during heavy rainfall caused by abnormal weather, and the city plans to devote full efforts to permanent disaster prevention.

To this end, the city will pursue ▲ prevention of heavy rainfall through dredging and treatment of contaminated soil in the national river Hyeongsan River ▲ construction of the Hangsa Dam to prevent flood damage in the Steel Industrial Complex and Ocheon area ▲ national support for disaster prevention maintenance projects on local rivers such as Naengcheon, Chilseongcheon, and Daehwacheon ▲ expansion of the flooded Changpo rainwater pumping station and implementation of flood prevention projects meeting new disaster standards.

Previously, Pohang City lowered the high riverbed and created a low-flow channel in the middle of Naengcheon through the hometown river maintenance project, increasing the flood discharge capacity in the basic plan from the existing 580 tons per second to 665 tons per second.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok of Pohang said, “I once again express my condolences to the citizens who suffered casualties and the disaster victims who experienced distress and inconvenience. I also extend my repeated thanks to the volunteers, military personnel, and public officials who greatly contributed to the recovery efforts. We will spare no effort to overcome the damage caused by the typhoon and make the city safer.”