South Korean Prime Minister Emphasizes "With the Heart to Protect Family"... Stresses 'Heavy Rain Preparedness'

Prime Minister Han Deok-su Inspected 'Flood-Prone' Residential Areas Yesterday
"Preparation Should Be Excessive, Public Cooperation Is Crucial"

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo emphasized the importance of thorough preparedness to reduce damage caused by unexpected heavy rains. He also expressed gratitude to citizens who contributed to disaster evacuation across the country and repeatedly urged cooperation between the public sector and the people.

On the morning of the 12th, Prime Minister Han posted on Facebook, stating, "Summer is just beginning, and no matter how hard we try, disaster preparedness is always insufficient," adding, "To minimize casualties, there is no other way but to prepare to an extent that might seem excessive."

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo visited a flood-prone residential area in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 11th to inspect flood prevention measures and demonstrated the installation of a new transparent flood barrier on the window side. The bottom left shows the old flood barrier.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The Prime Minister said, "This week, a thin and long rainy front caused extreme heavy rain in various parts of the country," and added, "Forecasting agencies worked tirelessly on emergency duty, but even the prediction range of supercomputers was exceeded." He continued, "I would like to thank Kim Yong-gil, the village chief of Jeongbaengi Village in Daejeon, who woke up all the villagers at dawn to evacuate them, and Yoo Myung-ok, the village chief of Geumhak-ri in Gyeongbuk, who carried an elderly person on her back when the mountain behind the village collapsed."

He urged preparedness, saying, "Next week, showers and heatwaves are expected to alternate across the country." Earlier, Prime Minister Han personally inspected the installation status of 'water blocking panels' with staff while touring residential areas vulnerable to flooding in Hapjeong-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul.

Prime Minister Han explained, "Yesterday, I inspected semi-basement houses in Mapo-gu and the Seoul Eunpyeong Fire Station site," adding, "Mapo-gu is a local government that has installed water blocking panels 100% in semi-basement houses at risk of flooding." He further said, "Installing water blocking panels on semi-basement house windows can greatly reduce flooding concerns, but I heard that landlords are reluctant because it is difficult to find tenants." He suggested, "Mapo-gu persuaded residents with 'transparent water blocking panels' that significantly improve lighting and aesthetics, so local governments slow to install these panels might be able to speed up by benchmarking this idea."

He repeatedly requested cooperation, saying, "There may be many concerns causing hesitation in installation, but it is too late to regret after people get hurt when a disaster strikes." Prime Minister Han instructed to secure portable and movable water blocking panels in cases where installation is delayed due to landlords' opposition.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo visited a flood-prone residential area in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 11th to inspect flood prevention measures and check the status of water barrier installations.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo emphasized, "All public officials should carry out their duties with the mindset of 'protecting my own family,'" and added, "In a situation where climate disasters have become routine, the government will do its best to protect the lives and safety of the people." He also urged, "The cooperation of the people is crucial. Let us all listen to weather information, alert neighbors if there is danger, and unite to take the lead in overcoming disasters."

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