In March, heavy rain fell in Sancheong County, Gyeongnam, where a large wildfire occurred.
■ Heavy Rain Hits Sancheong, Gyeongnam on July 19
Rainfall reached up to 100mm per hour.
In the village covered by soil washed away due to heavy rain,
there have been missing persons and fatalities.
The bridge was washed away
The house collapsed to the point where its shape was unrecognizable.
■ President Lee Visits Sancheong, Hit by Torrential Rain
On July 21, two days after the torrential rain, President Lee Jaemyung
personally visited Sancheong County, Gyeongnam to inspect the site,
and announced plans to designate the affected area as a special disaster zone as quickly as possible.
On this day, President Lee visited the Integrated Support Center for Rain Damage in Sancheong,
and responded to the request of Sancheong County Governor Lee Seunghwa by saying he would take swift action.
Presidential spokesperson Kang Yujeong stated in a briefing
that the visit was "to comfort the affected residents and encourage prompt recovery,"
and that the President had requested every effort be made in the search for missing persons.
■ Checking the Cause of Damage... Questions About Prevention
During the on-site inspection, President Lee inquired about the reasons why the damage was concentrated in Sancheong-eup,
and whether it could have been predicted in advance.
"Did similar damage occur last year?"
"How many years has it been since a fatal accident of this scale occurred?"
Through these questions, he sought to clarify the structural causes of the disaster.
In response, Sancheong Deputy County Governor Jeong Youngcheol replied, "There has been almost no landslide damage recently,
and there has not been a fatal accident of this magnitude before."
■ Emphasis on a Step-by-Step Approach to Rescue and Recovery
He said, "Above all, rescue comes first,
followed by emergency restoration,
Finally, he emphasized the need to support the restoration of residents' living environments,
and instructed a phased approach to recovery.
President Lee also personally checked the status of rescue operations for those buried by landslides.
Spokesperson Kang stated that "President Lee expressed deep condolences for the loss of life,
and instructed the establishment of measures to prevent recurrence."
Spokesperson Kang also added that President Lee
expressed sorrow as he mentioned livestock barns, restaurants, and bus stops buried by soil.
■ Orders to Designate Special Disaster Zone and Mobilize Budget
President Lee ordered Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Hojoong
to provide budget support and mobilize all available administrative resources for affected residents.
He also checked on the status of preparations for declaring a special disaster zone,
and confirmed plans to mobilize resources such as the Special Disaster and Safety Management Grant.
In response, Minister Yoon stated, "We will complete all inspections by this evening
and prepare so that the special disaster zone can be declared tomorrow."
■ Special Grants to Be Provided for Gwangju, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam
Gwangju City.
Jeollabukdo.
Jeollanam-do.
We are also preparing plans to provide special grants for other affected areas such as Gyeongsangnam-do.
According to the President's instructions, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will
Spokesperson Kang stated that "this announcement will include
emergency financial response measures at the ministry level."
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Edit Maeng Jiae mjiae@asiae.co.kr
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Reporter Lim Chulyoung cylim@asiae.co.kr
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Reporter Song Seungseop tmdtjq8506@asiae.co.kr
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