Prime Minister Jeong: "We Will Strive to Designate Daegu and Gyeongbuk as Special Disaster Areas"

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on the 14th, "Having witnessed the difficulties in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions firsthand, I will actively work to have Daegu and Gyeongbuk designated as special disaster areas."

On the same day, Prime Minister Chung held an on-site meeting at Daegu City Hall with the Mayor of Daegu and the Governor of Gyeongbuk. In response to Governor Lee Cheol-woo's request to designate the entire Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions as special disaster areas, he made this statement.

Governor Lee expressed, "Not only Daegu but also 21 out of the 23 cities and counties in Gyeongbuk, excluding Uljin and Ulleung, have confirmed cases, causing the regional economy to almost collapse. Therefore, designating only some areas such as Daegu, Gyeongsan, and Cheongdo as special disaster areas would inevitably lack effectiveness."

He added, "As of midnight on the 14th, the 1,091 confirmed cases in Gyeongbuk exceed the total number of confirmed cases nationwide excluding Daegu. Particularly, even Ulleung and Uljin, where no confirmed cases have occurred, have seen their local economies paralyzed due to the cessation of tourist visits. It is absolutely necessary to expand the designation of special disaster areas to cover the entire Gyeongbuk region," he emphasized.

In response, Prime Minister Chung said, "The tearful efforts of Governor Lee Cheol-woo and the Gyeongbuk Province, including proactive cohort isolation in group living facilities and the establishment of residential treatment centers to accommodate Daegu patients, will be highly regarded as a good model for overcoming infectious diseases and promoting mutual cooperation. I will actively work to have Daegu and Gyeongbuk designated as special disaster areas," he replied.

Prime Minister Chung evaluated, "Although we cannot relax our vigilance yet, Daegu and Gyeongbuk are gradually stabilizing after a critical period. The number of new confirmed cases in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, which once exceeded about 700 per day, has dropped to the 60s, and more people are recovering and returning to their daily lives. As residential treatment centers and hospital beds are rapidly expanded, the number of people waiting at home has significantly decreased."

He continued, "The fight against COVID-19 is not over yet, but hope and courage to win the battle have grown. I would like to express my gratitude and encouragement to the Mayor of Daegu, the Governor of Gyeongbuk, the medical staff, volunteers, and public officials who have joined forces to overcome this difficult fight," he added.

Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin said, "In my judgment, if we strengthen voluntary control for about 10 more days, I believe the situation can be kept within a controllable range. We will do our best. For parts that we cannot handle alone, I ask the government to assist us as the Prime Minister has done so far," he said.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.