"Please declare Jinju, Hamyang, Hadong, and Uiryeong as special disaster zones as well."
On August 1, Gyeongnam Governor Park Wansu made this request to President Lee Jaemyung during the first presidential meeting with city and provincial governors held at the Yongsan Presidential Office since the launch of the new administration.
Governor Park Wansu of Gyeongnam Province (left) and President Lee Jaemyung are smiling while shaking hands at the national meeting of city and provincial governors. Provided by Gyeongnam Province
Governor Park emphasized that not only Sancheong and Hapcheon, which suffered severe damage from the recent heavy rainfall, but also Jinju, Hamyang-gun, Hadong-gun, and Uiryeong-gun should be included as special disaster zones.
He expressed his gratitude for President Lee's attention to Gyeongnam, which was affected by heavy rainfall in July, and for the government's prompt recovery support, and proposed key issues related to preparing for future heavy rainfall in the region.
In response, President Lee promised to discuss with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and make efforts to include these areas as special disaster zones as well.
Park Wansu, Governor of Gyeongnam Province (left), and President Lee Jae Myung are exchanging greetings at the nationwide meeting of city and provincial governors. Courtesy of Gyeongnam Province
Governor Park also requested that Yangcheon and Deokcheongang, which either overflowed or had embankments collapse due to the heavy rain, be designated as national rivers so that a state-level management system can be established.
He further requested national funding for dredging local rivers such as Deokcheongang and Hogaecheon, where large amounts of sediment have accumulated due to the heavy rainfall.
He also proposed several improvement measures to prevent the recurrence of disasters, including: revising forest disaster-related laws to clarify the authority for landslide prevention and restoration; establishing reasonable support standards for compensation of crop damage; adjusting compensation amounts for housing damage caused by heavy rain to reflect reality; and improving the development activity system to prevent disasters in advance.
In addition, he reiterated the need for: enacting a special law for the construction of the Aerospace Complex City; enacting a special law for the development of the southern coastal region; creating an AI Innovation Valley for manufacturing within the Changwon National Industrial Complex; upgrading Geogadaero to an expressway; and including the Dongdaegu?Changwon?Gadeokdo New Airport in the National Railway Network Construction Plan.
Participants of the first meeting between the president and provincial governors since the new government took office are taking a commemorative photo. Provided by Gyeongnam Province
Attending the meeting were President Lee, city and provincial governors, Prime Minister Kim Minseok, Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Hojoong, Chief of Staff Kang Hunsik, and Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Woo Sangho.
The participants discussed a range of regional issues, including government and local government cooperation on natural disaster response, the issuance of consumption coupons, and measures to stimulate consumption.
Gyeongnam Province plans to work closely with each ministry to ensure that the major issues raised at the meeting are promptly addressed at the government level.
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