First Meeting of Metropolitan Water Supply Interruption Compensation Council Held
City Begins Formal Demands for Compensation from K-water
Paju City in Gyeonggi Province announced on December 22 that it held the first meeting of the 'Metropolitan Water Supply Interruption Compensation Council' through the Mobile Mayor's Office at Geumchon Eoullim Center on December 19.
Kim Kyungil, Mayor of Paju City, is taking a commemorative photo after holding the first meeting of the 'Metropolitan Water Supply Shutdown Accident Compensation Council' on the 19th at the Geumchon Eoullim Center Mobile Mayor's Office. Provided by Paju City
This meeting marked the launch of an official council jointly participated in by the city and citizen representatives, aiming to provide practical compensation for the significant inconvenience and economic damages suffered by citizens due to the water supply shutdown in November. The meeting was attended by about 30 people, including seven citizen representative members from organizations such as the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise, Korea Foodservice Industry Association, Apartment Association, and Unjeong New Town Association, as well as nine Paju City members and officials from relevant departments. The main topics discussed included: ▲compensation items and standards, ▲payment of bottled water purchase costs, ▲criteria for calculating business losses, and ▲the scope of other recognized damages.
The citizen representatives emphasized, "The cost of bottled water purchased by each household must be resolved urgently," and requested a simplification of the procedures. The Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise stressed, "Actual losses from decreased sales and business closures must be reflected," adding, "We are currently collecting damage reports on our own and securing the necessary supporting documents through the tax office to ensure objectivity."
In addition, all citizen representatives expressed strong dissatisfaction with the passive response of K-water, which insisted on 'negotiations after the completion of the accident investigation.' They stated, "We will continue to speak with one voice to ensure practical compensation for the small business owners and citizens who suffered significant damage from this water supply interruption," and officially requested the city to actively fulfill its administrative role, including providing legal advice and supporting the collection of evidence.
In response, the city announced its intention to strongly demand that K-water adopt the opinions derived from the council discussions, while also providing practical support such as establishing detailed criteria for each type of damage, assisting small business owners in securing supporting documents, and setting up a legal advisory system in order to establish compensation standards.
Kim Kyungil, Mayor of Paju City, held the first meeting of the "Metropolitan Water Supply Interruption Compensation Council" on the 19th through the mobile mayor's office at Geumchon Eoullim Center. Provided by Paju City
Kim Kyungil, Mayor of Paju City, stated, "This Mobile Mayor's Office marks the first step in compensation discussions and is the starting point for tackling the most challenging tasks of damage assessment and establishing standards together with citizens." He added, "Based on the legal reviews and practical suggestions proposed by citizen representatives, we will establish fair compensation standards and remain firmly on the side of our citizens until practical compensation is achieved."
Meanwhile, the newly formed compensation council will operate on a regular basis, and the results will be transparently disclosed to citizens through the Paju City website and social media channels.
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