Choi Sang-mok Acting Authority "Emergency Special Grant Support for 3 Cities and Provinces in Wildfire Disaster Situation"

"Special Disaster Safety Grant to Be Provided to Three Cities and Provinces Declared Disaster Areas"

Yonhap News

Choi Sang-mok, Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister as well as Minister of Strategy and Finance, stated on the 23rd regarding the nationwide large-scale wildfires, "We will spare no resources and deploy everything until these wildfires are completely extinguished."

Acting President Choi made this remark during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters held in the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, in the afternoon, adding, "We will carefully ensure that there is no negligence in supporting the bereaved families and victims, as well as in restoring the daily lives of the displaced."

At the start of the meeting, Acting President Choi said, "I pray for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives during the wildfire response efforts and extend my deepest condolences to their families. I also wish for the speedy recovery of the injured." He further expressed, "I deeply thank everyone who is currently dedicating their full efforts to controlling the flames at the wildfire sites."

Acting President Choi introduced, "The government swiftly activated the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for an all-out response, declared a disaster situation in Ulsan, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam, and designated Sancheong in Gyeongnam, where the damage is severe, as a special disaster area." He continued, "We are providing emergency disaster relief funds for temporary evacuees and displaced persons in Sancheong, and will urgently support the special disaster safety grant to the three cities and provinces where the disaster situation has been declared. Additionally, through the Disaster Relief Association and the Korean Red Cross, we plan to support temporary shelters for displaced persons based on the demands of local governments."

Acting President Choi urged the Korea Forest Service to "pay special attention to securing the safety of personnel responsible for wildfire suppression." He also requested all local governments nationwide to "thoroughly establish pre-evacuation plans for vulnerable facilities such as nursing hospitals and facilities for the disabled located in wildfire-prone areas."