Flood Damage Prevention Act Hastily 'Processed'... River Act and Urban Flood Prevention Act Subcommittee Passed

Passage of 'River Act' Supported by Central Government at Local and National River Junctions
Ministry of Environment Also Passes 'Urban Flood Prevention Act' Overseeing Flood Control Measures

The River Act and the Urban Flood Prevention Act, aimed at preventing water disasters such as floods, passed the Environment and Labor Committee's bill subcommittee on the 26th. The River Act and related bills are expected to be processed in the plenary session as early as the 27th after going through the full committee.

Lee Su-jin, the Democratic Party of Korea's Environment and Labor Committee spokesperson, said at a meeting with reporters after the subcommittee review, "Due to abnormal climate, heavy rain damage has become severe every year," adding, "Two remarkable bills have passed in the Environment and Labor Committee to prevent flood and heavy rain damage. One is the River Act, and the other is the Urban Flood Prevention Act."

Lee explained, "Previously, only national rivers were managed and funded by the government, but local rivers had issues with flood damage and were causing problems. Even if flooding occurred, local governments could not sufficiently prevent or manage it due to budget constraints. The Ministry of Environment has promised the Ministry of Economy and Finance to reflect the budget in areas related to both local and national rivers." Im Eui-ja, a member of the People Power Party and the bill proposer for the River Act, said, "It is a significant step forward that the Ministry of Economy and Finance has relaxed some of the strict conditions and allowed support."

Accordingly, the Ministry of Environment will conduct a study on the areas where national and local rivers meet and determine the extent of responsibility at the interface.

The Urban Flood Prevention Act centers on the Ministry of Environment overseeing urban flood prevention measures and establishing and operating a comprehensive water disaster situation room. However, the provision to establish a national comprehensive plan every ten years was removed during the review process. Im explained, "Regarding the Urban Flood Prevention Act, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety raised objections about overlapping roles since it is the control tower for disaster and emergency management, so overlapping parts were removed." The newly enacted Urban Flood Prevention Act is also set to be expedited for processing.

Lee forecasted, "If the bill is submitted to the full committee and passes the meeting at 5 p.m., and if the Legislation and Judiciary Committee convenes before tomorrow's plenary session, it will be discussed and processed promptly as it is an urgent bill."