Assemblyman Yongbin Lee Introduces the "Disaster and Safety Management Basic Act Amendment Bill" as Lead Sponsor

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Representative Lee Yong-bin (The Democratic Party of Korea, Gwangju Gwangsan-gap) has taken the lead in proposing an amendment to the Framework Act on Disaster and Safety Management.

This amendment includes provisions allowing the government to immediately provide emergency disaster relief funds through national treasury support in the event of unfamiliar disasters caused by new infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

Rep. Lee stated, “The emergence of new infectious diseases like COVID-19 is a global disaster causing immense socio-economic damage. Although the government and local governments responded flexibly to the current COVID-19 livelihood crisis, this amendment was proposed to prepare for more stable and prompt responses in the future by establishing regulations for emergency disaster relief funds and enabling immediate national treasury support.”

The main content of the amendment defines emergency disaster relief funds as “emergency funds that the state and local governments can organize and provide immediately only when deemed necessary to protect citizens’ livelihoods and maintain socio-economic safety nets in the event of a disaster.”

To this end, the amendment adds “matters related to the organization and promotion of emergency disaster relief funds” to the duties of the Central Safety Management Committee and includes “support for emergency disaster relief funds” under national treasury support.

Additionally, to alleviate concerns that differences in payment criteria, methods, and amounts of disaster relief funds may arise depending on the financial conditions of local governments even when citizens experience the same disaster situation, the amendment establishes a higher legal basis for the state to step in and provide direct support.

Rep. Lee said, “If this amendment passes, it will reduce controversies over whether to provide disaster relief funds in various disaster situations in the future. It is meaningful that we aimed to clarify this in a higher-level legal norm, the law, given that local governments are already providing disaster relief funds or disaster basic income through ordinances.”

Meanwhile, the amendment to the Framework Act on Disaster and Safety Management, led by Rep. Lee Yong-bin, was co-sponsored by 11 other lawmakers including Song Gap-seok, Lee Jeong-moon, Lee Tan-hee, Kim Seung-nam, Park Jeong, Jeong Chun-sook, Jo Oh-seop, Lee Byung-hoon, Go Young-in, Yoon Young-duk, and Seo Young-kyo.

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