Gyeonggi Province will begin providing daily life recovery support funds to residents affected by heavy rain starting August 6. This is a follow-up measure after Governor Kim Dongyeon requested swift restoration of flood damage and prompt support for affected residents.
Governor Kim Dongyeon made this decision during an emergency policy meeting held on August 5 to review and discuss issues he had proposed to President Lee Jaemyung at a provincial governors' meeting chaired by the president on August 1.
The agenda items discussed at the meeting included: ▲ the status of flood damage restoration and the process of designating Pocheon as a special disaster area ▲ the formation and direction of the US military base return land task force ▲ support measures for small and medium-sized enterprises affected by the Korea-US customs negotiation agreement, totaling three main topics.
Governor Kim first reviewed the flood restoration status and the progress of providing daily life recovery support funds. He stated, "If we are going to spend money, it's better to spend it quickly," and added, "From what I saw at the disaster sites, attaching various conditions seems unnecessary."
He continued, "If you report to the vice governor or me, I will sign off immediately. For those affected, August 20 is still two weeks away," and emphasized, "For people in urgent need, this is what I consider proactive administration."
In relation to the flood damage, Gyeonggi Province has completed emergency repairs at 862 out of 998 sites, including roads, bridges, and rivers, achieving an 86% completion rate to prevent secondary damage. Additionally, the province has provided 390 million won from the disaster relief fund to 170 displaced residents, and city and county governments along with related agencies are supplying goods to temporary shelters.
Along with the proposal to designate Pocheon as a special disaster area, the province is currently establishing a restoration plan. A total of 188.7 billion won will be invested, including securing 130.1 billion won in national funds, for the permanent restoration of public facilities such as roads and rivers as well as private properties.
Separate from public facility support, Gyeonggi Province will provide daily life recovery support funds to private sector victims, including 6 million won (including 3 million won in disaster relief funds) to small business owners affected by the heavy rain, and 30 million won to the families of deceased or missing individuals.
Governor Kim Dongyeon of Gyeonggi Province is presiding over a meeting on current issues of Gyeonggi Province at the Gyeonggi Provincial Office on the 5th. Photo by Gyeonggi Province
In particular, the support for small business owners will be provided in advance by Gyeonggi Province, as there is currently no national funding, and will be settled later. Previously, in July, Gyeonggi Province amended relevant ordinances to become the first in the country to enable the provision of daily life recovery support funds.
Additionally, immediately after the conclusion of the Korea-US customs negotiation on July 31, Gyeonggi Province held a special support measures meeting and established plans to minimize the crisis for small and medium-sized enterprises.
The province expanded special management funds for companies exporting to the United States from 50 billion won to 100 billion won, and broadened the trade crisis response package from the existing six major industries?automobiles, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, steel, aluminum, and copper?to include small and medium-sized enterprises related to cosmetics and medical devices.
To support automotive parts companies, the province will assist with overseas certification for eco-friendly vehicle parts and workforce training. In addition, the "Future Mobility Tech Show" will be held in September in Michigan, USA, to help secure supply chains for local automotive parts companies.
Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province plans to launch a dedicated task force for the development of returned US military base sites within this month, as the development of these areas is closely linked to the large-scale development project in northern Gyeonggi.
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