80 Billion KRW Allocated for Planning Phase
On June 13, the Gyeongbuk Provincial Government announced that Yeongdeok County and Cheongsong County, which suffered disaster damage from a massive wildfire in March, have been designated as special regeneration areas (Yeongdeok: 49 billion KRW, Cheongsong: 44.5 billion KRW) after review by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Urban Regeneration Special Committee.
The areas designated as special urban regeneration zones are Seok-ri and Nomul-ri in Yeongdeok-eup, Yeongdeok County, and Bugok-ri in Cheongsong-eup, Cheongsong County.
The special regeneration project is an initiative that promotes urban regeneration at the village level in areas that have suffered large-scale disaster damage to housing, infrastructure, and agricultural and fishery facilities, focusing on the recovery of local communities. This is the second such designation following the special regeneration project in Heunghaeeup, Pohang City, in November 2018.
The special regeneration system, according to the Urban Regeneration Act, allows the government to directly designate as special regeneration areas those disaster-stricken regions among special disaster areas where damage to housing and infrastructure exceeds 10 billion KRW, in order to expedite urgent urban regeneration projects. Cities and counties then establish special regeneration plans for the designated areas and implement urban regeneration projects through simplified procedures with support from national funds.
Yeongdeok County and Cheongsong County held public hearings to gather opinions from residents and relevant experts for the designation of special regeneration areas, and swiftly completed administrative procedures such as consulting local councils. They applied for the designation to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport at the end of May.
With 8 billion KRW (national funds) secured through the 2025 supplementary budget (4 billion KRW each for Cheongsong and Yeongdeok), the counties will begin formulating the draft special regeneration plan. At the same time, they plan to prioritize emergency restoration work to prevent soil runoff and landslides due to heavy rains during the monsoon season.
In addition, to ensure rapid project implementation, the formation of resident councils and the opening of on-site support centers will be completed within June. Efforts will also be made to identify inter-ministerial projects that can enhance the effectiveness of the special regeneration initiative.
Through this special regeneration project, the counties will focus on the basic objectives of improving housing and infrastructure, establishing disaster response infrastructure, and revitalizing local communities. As specialized projects, Yeongdeok County will pursue economic revitalization using local resources such as marine tourism facilities, while Cheongsong County will promote tourism by developing commercial and accommodation facilities centered around the Dalgi Mineral Spring.
Going forward, the details of the project direction and total project costs will be specified during the process of drafting the special regeneration plan. The goal is to complete the plan and obtain approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, from 2014 to 2024, the Gyeongbuk Provincial urban regeneration initiative has selected 58 sites across 21 cities and counties, securing a total budget of 1.0578 trillion KRW. To date, 16 sites have been completed and 42 are currently underway.
Bae Yongsoo, Director of Construction and Urban Affairs at the Gyeongbuk Provincial Government, stated, "The special regeneration project is a collaborative effort with residents to rebuild communities severely affected by wildfires. We will do our utmost to ensure that these villages not only recover their daily lives but also become vibrant and renewed communities."
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