Daegu·Gyeongbuk Likely to Be Declared 'Special Disaster Areas'... Prime Minister's Recommendation Followed by Presidential Approval

Quiet Daegu Jonggak Intersection on the Way Home from Work (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] The government is expected to declare the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions, which suffered significant damage from the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), as "special disaster zones" on the 15th. There has been no precedent in South Korea for declaring an infectious disease special disaster zone, and this will be the first case upon the final approval by the President.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) for COVID-19, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun plans to recommend to President Moon Jae-in the declaration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk as special disaster zones on this day.

The declaration of a special disaster zone is made when the heads of local countermeasure headquarters, i.e., city or provincial governors, request it, and the Prime Minister, who is the head of the CDSCH, after review by the Central Safety Management Committee, recommends it to the President, who then approves it.

Previously, Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin and Gyeongbuk Governor Lee Cheol-woo requested the declaration of Daegu and Gyeongbuk as special disaster zones. Prime Minister Chung stated that he discussed this with President Moon and that once the ongoing procedures related to the declaration are finalized, he will formally recommend it to the President.

On the morning of the same day, Prime Minister Chung held a closed meeting with relevant ministers to discuss the specific scope, targets, and criteria for support following the declaration of the special disaster zone, and is expected to officially recommend the declaration to President Moon.

President Moon is expected to approve Prime Minister Chung’s recommendation. The declaration is likely to be made in the afternoon of the same day.

The government had been reluctant to declare special disaster zones so far. This was due to concerns about the negative impact on the regional image caused by being stigmatized as a disaster area, and the judgment that support exceeding the level of a special disaster zone was already being provided under the "Infectious Disease Prevention and Management Act." Additionally, there had never been a case of a special disaster zone declared due to an infectious disease.

However, since the regions requested the declaration of a special disaster zone, the government appears to have judged that there is no reason to delay or oppose it further.

Once declared a special disaster zone, the government will investigate the related damage, establish a recovery plan, and provide 50% of the recovery costs from the national budget. Support will also be provided for residents’ livelihood and housing stability costs, relief funds for the deceased and injured, and other assistance. Benefits such as reductions in electricity bills, health insurance premiums, communication fees, and city gas charges will also be granted.

Meanwhile, the government plans to hold an emergency economic situation inspection meeting chaired by Prime Minister Chung in the afternoon to review domestic and international economic trends and countermeasures related to COVID-19, including stock market crashes, sharp rises in exchange rates, and plummeting international oil prices. This will be followed by a CDSCH meeting.

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