Ministry of the Interior and Safety Provides 2 Billion KRW Special Grant for Fire Recovery at Seocheon Specialty Market

Utilization for Debris Removal and Additional Damage Prevention
Minister Lee Sang-min: "Helping Merchants Return to Daily Life"

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 23rd that it has decided to provide a special grant of 2 billion KRW to Seocheon County, Chungnam, to expedite the recovery from the fire damage at the Seocheon Special Market in Chungnam that occurred on the afternoon of the 22nd.

According to the Chungnam Fire Headquarters, a large fire broke out around 11:08 PM the previous day at the Seocheon Special Market in Seocheon-eup, Seocheon County, Chungnam, completely destroying 227 stores. The fire was fully extinguished after 9 hours without any casualties.

At 11:08 PM on the 22nd, a fire broke out at Seocheon Specialty Market in Seocheon-eup, Seocheon-gun, Chungnam, burning down 227 stores. The photo shows the scene of the fire at Seocheon Specialty Market.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

In response, Minister Lee Sang-min of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety held an emergency countermeasure meeting at the Government Sejong Complex that morning, stating, "The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will cooperate with related agencies such as the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the National Fire Agency to ensure that recovery efforts proceed smoothly, and will consider providing special grants for rapid restoration."

The special grant being provided this time will be used for debris removal caused by the fire, preparation of safety measures to prevent additional damage, and emergency restoration of various facilities. Minister Lee said, "I hope that the special grant provided this time will help the emergency restoration of the Seocheon Special Market damaged by the fire and the quick return of market merchants to their daily lives," adding, "The government will do its best to support accident recovery and restoration in cooperation with related agencies in preparation for the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday."