[The Police File] Hope We Never Hear "Evacuees Have Nowhere to Go" Again

"Everything burned down, not even a single spoon was left."

This was the lament of Shim Hyoseop (68), a wildfire victim whom the reporter met at Andong Gymnasium in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province on March 27. Shim lost both his home of over 40 years and a 2,300-square-meter peach orchard to the fire. He was moved to tears as he explained that not only his household goods but even the compost he had prepared for farming were completely destroyed. On the first day, he felt a strong sense of relief at having survived, but as time passed, anxiety about "how to live from now on" became another disaster in itself, Shim said.

The wildfires that swept across Yeongnam burned down 3,819 homes and left 3,773 people displaced. Most of the evacuees are staying in shelters such as senior centers, village halls, hotels, training centers, and gymnasiums. Gugae 2-ri in Uiseong County, North Gyeongsang Province, which suffered particularly severe damage, was a small village with about 60 residents in 40 houses, but around 30 homes were destroyed. Residents who lost their homes have not yet been able to return to their village and are staying with their children or in motels.

As this situation drags on, the daily lives of the evacuees have come to a halt. They have had to stop their usual farming or work, spending each day uncertain of when or where they will be able to go. They have not only lost their homes to the fire, but also a part of their lives. This shows that a home is more than just a place to live; it is the pillar that supports and protects the continuity of life.

North Gyeongsang Province and local governments plan to provide 2,692 temporary housing units for the evacuees. However, only about 70 units have been set up so far, and only four families have moved in. The plan is to supply 44% of the total temporary housing by the end of this month, and the remaining units by the end of next month, but progress has been slow.

As this wildfire case demonstrates, South Korea is inadequately prepared with temporary housing facilities where people can stay for a certain period during disasters. This stands in contrast to Japan, which is considered an advanced country in disaster response. Due to frequent earthquakes and typhoons, Japan has a well-organized temporary housing system. Local governments in Japan are equipped with mobile housing modules that can be deployed at any time and, through agreements with private accommodations, provide evacuees with urgent and practical places to stay. There are even facilities for pets.

We also need to provide temporary housing that is not just a place to stay for one or two weeks, but one where people can live for over a month in a proper residential environment. Currently, securing temporary housing for evacuees or utilizing private facilities is left to the discretion of local government heads, but establishing a legal basis for an automatic "public housing conversion manual" to be activated in the event of disasters above a certain scale, as in Japan, is one possible solution.

Providing a place to live for disaster victims is not just about offering a space to rest, but about giving them a starting point to recover their daily lives and rebuild. While disasters may be unavoidable, the suffering people experience afterward can be reduced or even prevented.

Natural disasters such as wildfires, floods, and earthquakes will continue to occur. With global warming and climate change, it is time to treat disasters not as variables but as constants in policy planning. We hope to never again hear, "We evacuated from the disaster, but there is nowhere for evacuees to go."