Unannounced Areas to Be Surveyed and Added After
Swift Action Just Two Days After Returning from Tour
President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 19th prioritized the declaration of 13 local governments nationwide affected by heavy rain as special disaster zones. It has been two days since President Yoon, who returned from his Eastern Europe tour, held a Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting and requested a damage survey for the declaration of special disaster zones.
On the morning of the same day, President Yoon prioritized the declaration of 13 local governments including Yecheon-gun in Gyeongbuk, Gongju-si and Nonsan-si in Chungnam, Cheongju-si in Chungbuk, and Iksan-si in Jeonbuk as special disaster zones, presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon conveyed at a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office.
The areas heavily affected by the heavy rain include Cheongju-si in Chungbuk, as well as Goesan-gun, Sejong-si, Gongju-si and Nonsan-si in Chungnam, Cheongyang-gun, Buyeo-gun, Iksan-si in Jeonbuk, Yeongju-si and Mungyeong-si in Gyeongbuk, Yecheon-gun, and Bonghwa-gun. At the eup/myeon/dong level, Juksan-myeon in Gimje-si, Jeonbuk was declared a special disaster zone. The declaration of special disaster zones requires damage exceeding 5 billion to 11 billion KRW for eup/myeon/dong units and 5 billion to 11 billion KRW for si/gun/gu units, but all the targeted areas this time were judged to require such special measures considering the financial capability index of the local governments.
Areas declared as special disaster zones will have 50-80% of the damage restoration costs covered by national funds. In particular, local residents will receive support in 12 categories including reductions in health insurance premiums, and discounts on communication and electricity bills. Specifically, these include ▲ health insurance premium reductions ▲ exemption from collection of overdue national health insurance premiums ▲ deferral of employment and industrial accident insurance premium payments ▲ electricity bill reductions ▲ city gas bill reductions ▲ district heating bill reductions ▲ communication bill reductions ▲ radio usage fee reductions ▲ exemption from military mobilization and reserve forces training ▲ exemption from farmland preservation charges ▲ exemption from TV license fees ▲ exemption from post office deposit fees.
Spokesperson Lee added, "Currently, damage surveys are difficult in some areas due to continuous heavy rain and flooding," and "for areas not declared this time, we plan to promptly complete damage surveys and additionally declare special disaster zones if they meet the declaration criteria."
President Yoon also emphasized to Han Chang-seop, acting Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, to ensure rapid support for damage restoration and to have related agencies respond with full force to prevent casualties as the heavy rain continues. He urged Jeong Hwang-geun, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, to thoroughly manage support for affected farms and the supply and demand of agricultural products.
This declaration of special disaster zones was made three days after the government formed an emergency investigation team to start damage surveys, and two days after President Yoon returned and urged speedy damage surveys and follow-up measures. Typically, the declaration of special disaster zones takes about two weeks as it involves damage surveys by local governments, deliberation by the Central Safety Management Committee (chaired by the Prime Minister), recommendation by the head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety), and then presidential declaration, but this time it proceeded unusually quickly.
Since the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, special disaster zones have been declared due to natural disasters such as heavy rain in August last year, Typhoon Hinnamnor in September, and heavy snow in January 2023. Among these, in September last year, Typhoon 'Hinnamnor' struck Pohang and Gyeongju in Gyeongbuk and was prioritized as a special disaster zone just one day after passing, while other areas such as Ulsan Ulju were additionally declared special disaster zones three weeks later.
This swift decision is explained by the presidential office as a result of President Yoon continuously monitoring the situation, issuing instructions related to the heavy rain response during his Eastern Europe tour, and ordering follow-up measures for the declaration of special disaster zones at the CDSCH meeting and Cabinet meeting after his return. President Yoon visited Yecheon in Gyeongbuk on the 17th and Gongju and Nonsan in Chungnam on the 18th, enabling the government to quickly complete the surveys.
Earlier, upon returning from his Eastern Europe tour on the 17th, President Yoon immediately chaired a CDSCH meeting and ordered, "Recovery work and support for disaster damage must also be carried out swiftly, and all policy measures including the declaration of special disaster zones should be mobilized to promptly implement follow-up actions." At the Cabinet meeting he presided over the previous day, President Yoon also emphasized, "We will declare the affected areas as special disaster zones as soon as possible and mobilize all available government resources including contingency funds." A key official from the presidential office said, "From the 16th, while President Yoon was on tour, he closely communicated with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to prepare for the heavy rain and the declaration of special disaster zones in advance, which allowed for a faster decision than usual."
However, regarding the transfer of water management duties from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to the Ministry of Environment under the previous Moon Jae-in administration in the name of 'integrated water management,' along with the transfer of related organizations and budgets, it is highly likely that full-scale reorganization will take place after the current damage situation ends. It is reported that at a closed Cabinet meeting the previous day, President Yoon criticized Minister of Environment Han Hwa-jin, mentioning the recent flood disaster that caused dozens of casualties, saying, "Properly manage water management duties." A key presidential office official explained to reporters, "Water management was transferred from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to the Ministry of Environment during the last administration, and with that, there was a suggestion that the Ministry of Environment should newly reorganize and take a more proactive approach to management."
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