Gwangmyeong City Launches Sohadong Apartment Fire Recovery and Rehabilitation Support Team

Dedicated City Officials Assigned to Each Household
Comprehensive Support for Medical, Psychological, Daily Life, and Legal Needs
Park Seungwon: "Meticulous Support for Residents' Return to Normal Life"

Gwangmyeong City in Gyeonggi Province has launched a support team on July 17 to assist with the recovery from the Sohadong apartment fire and to help affected residents return to their daily lives.

Park Seungwon, mayor of Gwangmyeong, is visiting the evacuation center of the apartment fire accident in Sohadong on the 20th and talking with the affected residents. Provided by Gwangmyeong City

Gwangmyeong City announced on July 21 that it has formed the 'Sohadong Apartment Fire Recovery and Rehabilitation Support Team' and began its operation on July 20.

On July 20, during a meeting of the 'Sohadong Apartment Fire Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' held in the city hall conference room, Mayor Park Seungwon of Gwangmyeong City urged, "All departments must work together organically to provide more active and meticulous support for the affected residents."

Mayor Park added, "We will not stop at temporary measures, but will mobilize all administrative resources to provide comprehensive support so that the affected residents can return to their homes and settle back into their lives in a stable manner."

The support team office has been set up at the Sohadong 1-dong Administrative Welfare Center near the accident site to enhance on-site responsiveness.

The support team is headed by the Director of the Safety, Construction, and Transportation Bureau and consists of four divisions: the Situation Control Division, Recovery Support Division, Rehabilitation Support Division, and Public Relations Division. The team will provide comprehensive and systematic support from the initial response to full recovery.

The Situation Control Division oversees the overall operation of the support team and comprehensively manages the accident progress, the status of victims, and the support activities.

The Recovery Support Division is responsible for technical support, including site restoration and safety inspections. Currently, the city, together with experts from the Korea Institute of Architectural Structures, is installing reinforcement supports in areas of the apartment suspected of structural damage and attaching crack gauges and tilt measurement plates to monitor the building's stability in real time.

To prevent theft and safety accidents caused by unauthorized entry, a safety fence has been installed at the site. Access to the site is managed by the Gwangmyeong Police Station, but the city will also maintain a 24-hour security presence at the site in cooperation with private security companies, the community crime prevention unit, and the Marine Corps Veterans Association. The city plans to review options for residents to return to their homes based on the results of a detailed safety inspection.

The Rehabilitation Support Division is handling civil complaints and providing psychological and financial support to residents affected by the accident. Each affected household is matched one-on-one with a dedicated city official, who responds to their needs and delivers customized support based on residents' requests.

To minimize inconvenience for the displaced residents, the Rehabilitation Support Division is offering services such as traditional medicine treatment, psychological counseling, and the provision of basic medicines for physical and mental health management. In addition, a laundry vehicle equipped with washing machines and dryers is being operated.

As temporary accommodation for the displaced residents, the city is providing 'Safe Housing' operated by the municipality. For those staying in hotels or other private accommodations, the city plans to subsidize lodging expenses for a certain period.

For the victims of the accident, the city will promptly provide citizen life safety insurance payments and is also considering additional support measures, including covering medical and funeral expenses, offering free legal consultations, providing tax benefits, and deferring tax collection.

In addition, to quickly assess and respond to the condition of residents transferred to hospitals, the city has designated a dedicated official to manage inpatients at each of the 10 medical institutions.

The Public Relations Division is responsible for providing information on the accident response and safety through press releases and the city website.

The support team’s on-site office operates from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and civil complaints can be submitted in person or by phone (02-2680-6886, 6887). Online submissions are also possible through the 'Gukmin Sinmungo' system or the 'Message to the Mayor of Gwangmyeong' section on the city website.

As of 1:00 p.m. on July 20, there were 62 displaced residents from 23 households staying at the evacuation center. The current status of victims is as follows: 3 deceased, 16 seriously injured, and 46 with minor injuries. Among those with minor injuries, 18 are still hospitalized while 28 have been discharged and returned home.