Acting President Han: "Plan for Permanent Wildfire Recovery... Will Rebuild Anew"

Presiding Over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting for Wildfire Response

Prime Minister Han Ducksoo, Acting President, is holding a meeting to inspect the progress of recovery and restoration efforts in wildfire-affected areas at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in the Government Seoul Office Building on the 24th. Photo by Yonhap News

Prime Minister Han Ducksoo, Acting President, stated on the 24th, "The recovery from this wildfire damage will not merely restore things to their previous state, but we plan to pursue 'permanent restoration.'"

At the 'Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for Wildfire Response' meeting held at the Seoul Situation Center of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in the Government Seoul Office Building on this day, Han said, "Taking this wildfire as an opportunity, we will establish comprehensive measures to respond to climate change, revitalize the local economy, and protect the ecosystem, thereby rebuilding the wildfire-affected areas."

Han noted, "It has been nearly a month since all the large wildfires in North Gyeongsang, South Gyeongsang, and Ulsan were extinguished, but more than 3,700 displaced people are still staying in temporary accommodations," and urged, "Each ministry should swiftly execute budgets and support measures so that affected residents can return to their daily lives as soon as possible."

He continued, "A record amount of national donations has been raised to help those displaced by this wildfire," and instructed, "The Ministry of the Interior and Safety should work closely with the Disaster Relief Association and the Community Chest of Korea to ensure that these donations are distributed to the displaced within this month, acting with a sense of urgency."

He emphasized, "The most urgent task at the moment is to resolve the housing inconveniences faced by the displaced," pointing out, "Although basic necessities and medical support are being provided at temporary accommodations, these are only temporary measures."

Han stressed, "More fundamental support is needed," and ordered, "The government must actively develop measures for wildfire damage recovery and restoration, thoroughly verify that these measures are functioning properly on-site, and carefully check if anything has been overlooked." He added, "The recovery and restoration from this wildfire damage can only succeed if ministries and agencies work closely together, transcending their respective areas of responsibility."