Sancheong County Claims "Unwavering Administration Amid Extreme Disasters" ... Residents Say "We Don't Feel It"

Focus on Institutional Awards and Achievements in Press Releases
Gap Remains Between Flooded Sites and Residents' Ongoing Hardships

Sancheong County in South Gyeongsang Province highlighted "unwavering county administration even in the face of extreme disasters" and "receiving awards from various institutions in multiple fields" as its main achievements in a press release distributed on January 7. However, voices from the field suggest that it is difficult to actually feel the impact of such evaluations.

In the press release, the county asserted that its administration remained stable despite last year's heavy rainfall and various disaster situations, and that it received external institutional awards in several areas, including administration, welfare, and safety.

However, residents and farmers in flood-affected areas interviewed by The Asia Business Daily pointed out a significant gap between the county's perception and the reality on the ground, stating, "Recovery and support should come before administrative achievements."

Sancheong County Office Marker Stone.

In particular, farmers affected by flooding and those in areas where irrigation channels were lost in the Sinan-myeon area commonly claimed that, despite continued reporting by The Asia Business Daily, there has been little actual recovery or administrative change. Some affected residents expressed their dissatisfaction, saying, "The county only talks about achievements and awards, but the disaster sites remain neglected."

On the ground, there are ongoing cases where recovery is delayed because the land is privately owned, or where victims are excluded from support due to application period restrictions. Residents criticized the situation, saying, "While the county emphasizes extreme disasters, there is little administrative consideration for elderly farmers and those with minor damages who fall into disaster blind spots."

Some in the local community have also pointed out that press releases focused on promoting county administration may actually heighten residents' sense of deprivation. One local figure commented, "Institutional awards are merely internal administrative evaluations; the true success or failure of county administration should be judged by how much support residents actually receive in the field." He added, "Unresolved issues must be confronted before promoting achievements."

According to The Asia Business Daily's investigation, the "unwavering county administration" emphasized by Sancheong County may exist in documents and evaluation forms, but the administrative response felt in disaster-affected areas remains insufficient, lending credibility to these criticisms.

The county needs to be reminded once again that the true measure of administrative achievement is not the number of awards received, but whether the lives of each and every resident marginalized by disaster have been restored.