Andong Mayor Kwon Kichang Reiterates Call for Enactment of "Special Act on Forest Fires" at Gyeongbuk Mayors and County Governors Council

Gyeongbuk Mayors and County Governors Council
Jointly Proposes Special Act on Forest Fires
to the Government and National Assembly

Kwon Kichang, mayor of Andong City in North Gyeongsang Province, once again strongly urged the need for the enactment of the "Special Act on Forest Fires," which would provide practical national-level recovery measures and institutional support for large-scale forest fires.

Kwon Kichang, mayor of Andong City, repeatedly urged the enactment of the "Special Act on Forest Fires" at the Gyeongbuk Mayors and County Governors Council meeting.

At the 15th regular meeting of the Gyeongbuk Mayors and County Governors Council for the 8th popularly elected term, held at Hwangryongwon in Gyeongju on June 10, Mayor Kwon stated, "As super-large forest fires are occurring more frequently due to climate change, Andong and various areas across North Gyeongsang Province are suffering severe damage. Since the capabilities of local governments alone are insufficient to cope with this, the prompt enactment of a special law is necessary."

He went on to say, "Under the current system, victims such as small and medium-sized businesses, welfare facilities, and farms are left in a legal blind spot, making it difficult to provide practical relief. Therefore, a comprehensive national-level recovery plan, including an expanded scope of compensation and more realistic compensation payments, must be promoted."

In particular, Mayor Kwon emphasized, "To help residents in affected areas recover their daily lives and rebuild their communities, a special law that integrates forest fire prevention, strengthened response systems, and measures to prevent the extinction of local communities is absolutely necessary. This is not simply a one-time recovery, but a national responsibility for sustainable regional recovery."

The mayors and county governors from North Gyeongsang Province who attended the meeting expressed their full support for Mayor Kwon's proposal and agreed to jointly submit a recommendation to the government and the National Assembly for the enactment of the "Special Act on Forest Fires" to ensure systematic recovery from forest fire damage and the revitalization of local communities.

Mayor Kwon added, "In Andong and other recent large-scale forest fire-affected areas, the scale of the damage is enormous and even threatens the livelihoods of residents. Andong City will work closely with other cities and counties in North Gyeongsang Province not only to push for the enactment of the special law, but also to actively secure national funding and improve relevant systems."