Disaster Basic Act Proposed by Park Wan-su, Governor of Gyeongnam, Passes National Assembly

Park Wansu, Governor of Gyeongnam Province, who originally proposed the "Disaster and Safety Management Basic Act Amendment" as a member of the National Assembly, saw the bill pass the plenary session of the National Assembly on the 27th.

According to Gyeongnam Province, the so-called Disaster Basic Act Amendment establishes a legal basis for supporting small business owners affected by disasters.

The existing law provides livelihood support and exemption from high school tuition fees for those who suffer damage in primary means of livelihood such as agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and salt production industries.

When restoring disaster-damaged facilities, the law stipulates support for restoration of houses, farmland, and facilities related to agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and forestry, excluding small business owners from the support targets.

Park Wan-su, Governor of Gyeongnam Province.
Photo by Lee Se-ryeong

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The proposal for the amendment originated from widespread dissatisfaction after Typhoon Chaba in 2016 caused massive damage nationwide, but small business owners were excluded from restoration support due to the lack of legal grounds for assistance.

The bill was initially proposed during the 20th National Assembly but was discarded due to the expiration of the Assembly's term. It was reintroduced by Governor Park, who was then a member of the National Assembly, as the lead proposer in the 21st National Assembly.

The province expects that once the amendment is implemented, 14.4 million small business owners nationwide will receive benefits such as livelihood support and disaster-damaged facility restoration assistance.

Governor Park said, "It is especially meaningful that the amendment I proposed as a member of the National Assembly has now passed the National Assembly as governor," adding, "I am very pleased to think that with the passage of this Disaster and Safety Act amendment, small business owners facing difficulties will not completely lose their livelihoods due to disasters."

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