Kim Kwangyeol Announces Vision for Regional Reconstruction
Total Investment of 457.5 Billion KRW for Wildfire Recovery and Future Development
On July 2, Kim Kwangyeol, Governor of Yeongdeok County, announced the current status of support for wildfire victims and presented a vision for regional reconstruction during a regular meeting, in reference to the massive wildfire that broke out at the end of March.
At the meeting, Governor Kim described the current wildfire recovery efforts in Yeongdeok County, stating, "It is time to move beyond simple restoration and enter a stage of complete recovery and reconstruction toward the future," and announced the full-scale implementation of disaster recovery projects totaling 457.5 billion KRW.
This amount includes 370 billion KRW currently being spent on private and public property disaster recovery as a result of the government's designation of the area as a special disaster zone, as well as an additional 87.5 billion KRW for village reconstruction projects, which Yeongdeok County secured through a separate request to the government.
Based on these funds, Yeongdeok County plans to carry out disaster recovery projects without setbacks, including: operation of a task force for temporary housing support; establishment of forest and ecological restoration plans; emergency logging in wildfire-affected areas; secondary damage prevention projects such as landslide mitigation; creation of specialized honeybee forests in connection with orchard complexes; restoration of pine mushroom production sites and development of alternative crop strategies; and strengthening of disaster and emergency response systems.
Additionally, by gathering opinions from affected village residents and experts from various fields, the county is determined to successfully promote the following projects: the Seok-ri and Nomul-ri urban regeneration projects in the special regeneration zone (49 billion KRW); the Gyeongjeong 1-ri and 3-ri general rural development projects (7.6 billion KRW); the Suaam-ri and Daegok-ri village-level recovery and regeneration projects (16.86 billion KRW); the Sinan-ri, Giam 2-ri, and Maejeong 1-ri village infrastructure projects (6.5 billion KRW); and the Obo-ri, Maejeong 1-ri, and Samgye-ri projects to improve living conditions in vulnerable areas (7.49 billion KRW). The goal is to ensure that these village reconstruction projects become an opportunity for the villages to be reborn as better communities.
There is also news that the tourism sector is not only recovering but also growing. According to statistics from Korea Tourism Data Lab, the number of tourists in Yeongdeok County decreased by 7.5% year-on-year due to the impact of the wildfire, but in May, the number of visitors increased by 15% compared to the same period last year, and the growth rate of tourism-related spending also rose by 21%.
This is interpreted as the result of Yeongdeok County's efforts to vitalize local tourism and consumption by hosting various programs and nationwide competitions under the slogan "Tourism is Donation," as well as implementing strategically linked projects.
Furthermore, Yeongdeok County plans to continue its achievements?including the recent designation as a UNESCO Global Geopark in April?by collaborating with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and North Gyeongsang Province to connect wildfire recovery plans with tourism-specialized projects, aiming to transform Seok-ri and Nomul-ri, which have been designated as special regeneration zones, into world-class tourist destinations like Santorini in Greece or Amalfi in Italy.
Alongside these efforts, the county is actively attracting private capital in the tourism service sector, such as hotels and resorts, to revitalize both tourism and industry. In addition, by promoting the creation of a renewable energy special zone centered on wildfire-affected areas to generate income for local residents, the county plans to establish a future foundation for the regional economy and industry, create jobs, and develop new sources of income for residents.
Governor Kim Kwangyeol emphasized, "Our county and residents have a history of success, as we transformed the large-scale wildfire in Changpo-ri in 2005 into the nation's first civilian-led wind power complex." He added, "We will draw on the strength of our community, which has shown unity and dedication over the past 100 days of recovery since the wildfire, to prepare for the next 100 years."
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