Gyeonggi Province will provide ‘disaster consolation money’ to victims of major social disasters such as the Hwaseong Arisel fire accident and the Jeju Air passenger plane accident.
On the 9th, Gyeonggi Province announced that the ‘Partial Amendment to the Ordinance on Social Disaster Relief and Recovery Support in Gyeonggi Province,’ which includes this content, passed the Gyeonggi Provincial Council on December 30 last year and will be implemented starting this year.
This amended ordinance includes the establishment of ‘disaster consolation money support for disaster victims’ in addition to existing support such as livelihood stabilization support, indirect support, damage recovery support, and funeral and medical expense support for social disaster victims.
In cases where large-scale disasters with significant damage occur, such as the Hwaseong Arisel fire accident, consolation money can be provided after deliberation and resolution by the Gyeonggi Province Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. The consolation money amount is determined and paid by the Provincial Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting, considering the minimum cost of living at the time of the accident, the scale of the disaster, and the extent of the damage.
Earlier, in June last year, Gyeonggi Province provided consolation money for the first time to victims of the Hwaseong Arisel fire after resolution by the Provincial Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. Gyeonggi Province explained that the ordinance was amended to establish the basis and criteria for providing disaster consolation money in the event of similar disasters in the future.
Meanwhile, apart from this ordinance amendment, if an area is declared a special disaster zone, consolation money can be provided after resolution by the Provincial Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in accordance with the current Disaster and Safety Act.
Accordingly, Gyeonggi Province will hold a meeting of the Provincial Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters next week and provide disaster consolation money of 5,618,000 KRW per person to the bereaved families of the Jeju Air passenger plane victims.
In addition, a dedicated public official will be assigned to continuously support the bereaved families in recovering their daily lives through psychological counseling, legal support, and assistance for their children.
Furthermore, to support cities and counties that have suffered significant damage from natural disasters but do not meet the criteria for declaration as special disaster zones and thus do not receive support, Gyeonggi Province will revise the Special Disaster Zone Support Ordinance by the first half of this year and establish a special support zone system.
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