Gyeongbuk Development Corporation (CEO Lee Jaehyuk) announced on the 9th that it has prepared various recovery and support plans to help local residents quickly return to their daily lives after suffering damage from the recent large-scale wildfires in the northern region of Gyeongbuk.
This wildfire, which spread extensively across areas such as Andong, Uiseong, Yeongyang, Cheongsong, and Yeongdeok, caused significant damage to homes, forests, and agricultural facilities. As a result, residents have been displaced and their livelihoods devastated, further increasing the suffering of the local community.
On March 26, Gyeongbuk Development Corporation donated 40 million KRW to the Gyeongbuk branch of the Korean Red Cross and the Gyeongbuk Community Chest of Korea. In addition, under the slogan "With Small Sharing, Toward a Hopeful Gyeongbuk," employees voluntarily raised an additional 10 million KRW, which was also delivered to the Gyeongbuk Community Chest of Korea.
Furthermore, rather than limiting their efforts to one-time donations, the corporation plans to provide systematic and ongoing recovery support by forming an emergency recovery team in cooperation with other public institutions in the region.
Gyeongbuk Development Corporation has set this year's social contribution goal as "Supporting Rapid Recovery to Daily Life" and will focus all efforts on recovery and support activities, especially in wildfire-affected areas. In addition to repairing homes that have been partially or completely destroyed, the corporation will also prioritize the "Yeonghonam Happy Companion House" residential environment improvement program, which has been conducted twice a year since 2022 in collaboration with Jeonnam Development Corporation, for the affected areas.
In addition, financial support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by the wildfires is being prepared. Through collaboration with financial institutions, the corporation plans to identify low-interest financial products for wildfire-affected SMEs and provide financial assistance. There are also internal discussions underway to expand the beneficiaries of the mutual growth fund, which has previously supported startups and SMEs in Gyeongbuk. The corporation stated that the goal of this financial support is to help SMEs in affected areas return to business operations and establish a practical foundation for recovery.
Lastly, Gyeongbuk Development Corporation plans to strengthen its "Fire Prevention Campaign" targeting traditional markets and aging residential facilities that are vulnerable to fire, in order to prevent large-scale disasters like this wildfire. In particular, the corporation will expand safety inspections and fire prevention education, and provide disaster prevention supplies to prevent further damage.
Lee Jaehyuk, CEO of Gyeongbuk Development Corporation, said, "As a public institution working together with the local community, we will do our utmost to support recovery from the wildfire damage," adding, "We will continue to provide practical and ongoing support so that affected residents can quickly return to their daily lives."
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