"Appealing for National-Level Support for Safe Cities" ... Mayor Lee Kang-deok Proposes 'Permanent Disaster Infrastructure' to Ministry of Economy and Finance Visiting Pohang

Proposal for Fundamental Damage Prevention Measures Including Large Drainage Tunnel, Cutoff Wall Installation, and Collective Relocation Plans

Explanation of the Need for Prompt Promotion of the Long-cherished Project 'Yeongilman Bridge' by Gyeongb

Mayor Lee Gang-deok of Pohang City conducting an on-site briefing at the typhoon-affected areas (Ocheon, Naengcheon, Indeokgyo). (From left: Hwang Myeong-seok, Director of Planning Office, Gyeongbuk Province; Yoon Su-hyun, Director of Budget Management Division, Ministry of Economy and Finance; Nam Dong-o, Director of Land and Transportation Budget Division, Ministry of Economy and Finance; Kim Wan-seop, Director of Budget Office, Ministry of Economy and Finance; Lee Gang-deok, Mayor of Pohang City)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] On the 21st, Mayor Lee Kang-deok of Pohang explained the typhoon damage status and recovery plans to Kim Wan-seop, Director of the Budget Office at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, who visited Pohang. He urged for active national-level support for permanent disaster prevention to alleviate the suffering of affected residents, along with the prompt promotion of the Yeongilman Bridge construction, a long-cherished project of Gyeongbuk residents.

This visit was to discuss regional issues such as the Pohang-Yeongdeok Expressway (Yeongilman Bridge) construction project and typhoon damage recovery, with officials from the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and Gyeongbuk Province also in attendance.

At the pre-briefing, Mayor Lee emphasized the need to establish disaster infrastructure with new standards to prepare for recurring natural disasters every year, strongly recommending ▲ installation of bypass drainage tunnels outside urban areas ▲ expansion of urban retention basins and reinforcement of rainwater pump station functions ▲ installation of flood barriers in coastal flood-prone areas and river tributary areas ▲ and collective relocation measures for residents displaced during the creation of POSCO and the national industrial complex.

Following the pre-briefing, Mayor Lee visited the area around Naengcheon, which suffered significant typhoon damage. He stressed that coastal and adjacent areas are frequently affected by river flooding when heavy rain coincides with high tide, and to permanently resolve this, the following must be promoted: ▲ construction of the Hangsa Dam ▲ maintenance of the Hyeongsan River as a national river ▲ establishment of a comprehensive district unit restoration plan for river areas.

Residents of Daesong-myeon, who suffered greatly from the recent typhoon, mostly elderly and displaced due to the creation of POSCO and the national industrial complex, have frequently experienced flooding during typhoons. They are in urgent need of fundamental damage prevention measures, and collective relocation plans must also be established, he added.

POSCO and the steel industrial complex were also flooded, with economic losses from halted operations estimated to exceed 1.7 trillion won. In particular, since the steel industry impacts key national industries such as construction, automobile, and shipbuilding, disaster prevention measures must be devised at the national level, he said.

He then held a briefing at the Yeonorang Seonyeo Theme Park on the Yeongilman Bridge construction site, the greatest long-cherished project of Pohang citizens, explaining that the national highway alternative bypass road is already saturated, making the Yeongilman Bridge connecting Nam-gu and Buk-gu absolutely necessary.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok of Pohang briefing on the construction of the Pohang-Yeongdeok Expressway during a visit to Yeonorang Seonyeo Theme Park. (From left: Mayor Lee Kang-deok, Construction Manager Choi Chang-ho, Budget Office Director Kim Wan-seop from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Budget Manager Nam Dong-o, and Manager Yoon Su-hyun from the Ministry of Economy and Finance)

The cable-stayed bridge the city intends to promote is the most economical and has the shortest construction period. Selected as a presidential pledge project, the project is expected to materialize once final consultations with the Ministry of National Defense are completed.

Once the Yeongilman Bridge is constructed, it will complete the U-shaped national road network, which is currently concentrated on the west and south coasts, resolving regional imbalances. It will also improve accessibility to the Pohang Yeongilman Industrial Complex, Blue Valley Industrial Complex, and Yeongilman Port, reducing logistics costs.

The city is facing crises such as urban atmosphere depression and population decline following the Pohang earthquake and the recent typhoon, and plans to seize this opportunity to accelerate the creation of a safe city Pohang free from disasters and calamities.

On the day, Budget Director Kim Wan-seop said, “I deeply empathize with the pain experienced by the citizens of Pohang,” and “I will do my best to explore ways the Ministry of Strategy and Finance can support.”

Mayor Lee Kang-deok of Pohang also said, “To protect the lives and property of citizens from natural disasters, we will maintain a close cooperative system with the central government and do our utmost to ensure Pohang can be reborn as a safe city.”

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