Ministry of the Interior and Safety Allocates 23.5 Billion KRW in Special Grants to Strengthen Heavy Snow Response Capabilities

Support for Local Governments to Enable Proactive Snow Removal

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 9th that it will provide 23.5 billion KRW in special treasury grants to local governments for snowstorm countermeasures and the installation of road snow removal devices.

In December last year, more than 60cm of snow fell mainly in the southern regions, paralyzing urban areas and causing property damage such as the collapse of vinyl greenhouses. Minister Sangmin Lee personally inspected the damage sites and decided to provide special treasury grants to minimize damage caused by snowstorms, including major road paralysis.

Of the special treasury grants to be allocated this time, 10 billion KRW for snowstorm countermeasures will be used to stockpile additional snow removal agents in preparation for unexpected heavy snowfall during the remaining winter period (until March 15), as the stockpile rate of snow removal agents fell below the plan due to heavy usage in December last year.

In addition, funds will be used to rent or purchase related equipment such as small snow removal machines to ensure smooth snow removal on alleys, sidewalks, and side roads closely related to local residents' daily lives, besides major roads.

The 13.5 billion KRW for the installation of road snow removal devices will be used to install automatic brine spraying devices and road heating cables on snow removal-vulnerable roads and habitual icy roads where snow removal work is difficult, to prevent accidents on icy roads and minimize inconvenience to road users.

Minister Sangmin Lee of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety urged local governments to do their best in snow removal to prevent public inconvenience caused by snowstorms during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday and the remaining winter period, and stated, “The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will also spare no support to strengthen local governments’ snowstorm response capabilities.”