"Calls from the Opposition to Designate Busan as a Special Disaster Area Amid 'Market Vacancy' Status"

Hataekyung "Measures Must Be Taken Quickly"
Ijuhwan "Damage Scale Likely to Exceed Special Disaster Area Criteria"

Ha Tae-kyung, Member of the Future United Party / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Voices are rising in the political sphere calling for the urgent designation of Busan Metropolitan City, where parts of the city were flooded due to record-breaking heavy rain causing three deaths and other casualties, as a special disaster area.

On the 24th, Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the Future United Party, wrote on his Facebook, "A water bomb fell on Busan city in the middle of the night. So far, three people have died, and I pray for the repose of the deceased," adding, "The problem is that heavy rain is expected today and tomorrow as well, so I hope the central government urgently declares Busan a special disaster area and promptly supports accident recovery and countermeasure preparations."

He continued, "I will confirm with the Prime Minister during the government questioning session at the National Assembly this afternoon whether countermeasures have been established," emphasizing, "I will make sure the Prime Minister pledges to actively support Busan, which is currently without a mayor."

On the same day, Lee Joo-hwan, a member of the Future United Party representing Yeonje District in Busan, also requested the government to designate Busan as a special disaster area.

At a press conference held at the National Assembly Communication Office, Lee said, "With heavy rain exceeding 80mm per hour pouring down, not only human casualties but also flooding and collapses have occurred one after another," urging, "Please designate Busan Metropolitan City as a special disaster area so that urban functions can be quickly restored and flood victims can stabilize their lives."

According to current law, the declaration of a special disaster area is possible when the damage exceeds 2.5 times the national treasury support standard damage amount set for each local government after damage investigation.

On the 23rd, heavy rain in Busan caused the area around Busan Station on Busan Metro Line 1 to be flooded. / Photo by Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters

However, Lee explained, "If the damage amount is expected to greatly exceed the declaration standard, a preliminary investigation can be conducted to allow for a priority declaration," adding, "Although the exact damage scale by region has not yet been compiled, some areas are already understood to have far exceeded the criteria for designation as a special disaster area."

Meanwhile, Busan experienced record-breaking heavy rain starting from the afternoon of the 23rd. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, this heavy rain recorded 81.6mm per hour, marking the 10th highest hourly rainfall since 1920.

As a result, flooding damage is also occurring one after another. According to the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters, more than 1,200 reports related to rain damage were received as of 5 a.m. on the 24th due to the rain overnight, and the Busan Police Agency also received a total of 705 reports.

At around 10:18 p.m. on the 23rd, the Choryang No. 1 Underpass in Choryang-dong, Dong-gu, Busan was flooded to a height of 2.5 meters, submerging several vehicles and causing an accident in which three people died.

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