South Korea "Acting Minister of the Interior to Station in Sangju, Gyeongbuk"... Ruling and Opposition Parties Also Mobilize Full Response

Ruling Party Holds First Meeting of Special Committee on Wildfire Disaster
Opposition Also Visits Affected Areas to Address Evacuees' Concerns

As wildfire damage spreads mainly in the Yeongnam region, the government and ruling and opposition parties have decided to focus their efforts on resolving this national crisis.

Han Deok-soo, Acting President and Prime Minister, issued an urgent directive on the 27th to ensure there are no setbacks in relief and support for the victims of the wildfire disaster.

On the same day, Han instructed Ko Ki-dong, Acting Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, to "reside in the Gyeongbuk area and oversee all related operations until the wildfire is contained, ensuring that relief and support for the tens of thousands of evacuees caused by the worst wildfire in history proceed without any issues."

Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, also emphasized at the first meeting of the Special Committee on Wildfire Disaster held at the National Assembly that morning, "Firefighting is the responsibility of the fire authorities, but daily recovery and disaster prevention are the responsibilities of politics."

The People Power Party decided to first deliver relief supplies worth a total of 160 million won to eight areas affected by the wildfire: Uiseong, Andong, Yeongdeok, Cheongsong, Yeongyang in Gyeongbuk; Sancheong and Hadong in Gyeongnam; and Ulju in Ulsan.

Members of the People Power Party based in Yeongnam also temporarily suspended activities such as press conferences related to the dismissal and rejection of President Yoon Seok-yeol’s impeachment from the previous day and decided to go down to their constituencies to support relief efforts.

Floor leader Kwon mentioned, "Among the 50 helicopters owned by the Korea Forest Service, only seven are large helicopters with a water capacity of over 8 tons, and two of those are currently under maintenance." He added, "A bigger problem is that local governments have to bear the cost of helicopter rentals," urging for improvements.

Kwon Young-se, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, and Kwon Seong-dong, Floor Leader, along with others, are observing a moment of silence for the wildfire victims at the Emergency Meeting of the Special Committee on Wildfire Disaster Response held at the National Assembly on March 27, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

The Democratic Party is also concentrating its efforts, with party leader Lee Jae-myung inspecting the wildfire damage sites in Gyeongbuk on the night of the 26th and again on the 27th.

After visiting Gounsa Temple, which was damaged by the wildfire, Lee stopped by the Uiseong evacuation center to listen to the grievances of the evacuees.

Jin Sung-jun, chairman of the Democratic Party’s Policy Committee, said regarding the wildfire damage, "We will push for a supplementary budget for wildfires to ensure sufficient measures and prevent recurrence," adding, "A national-level response is urgently needed."