Gov’t to Designate Special Disaster Zones

The government held an emergency cabinet meeting and decided to designate Gangneung, capital city of east Gangwon Province ravaged by Typhoon Rusa, a ‘special disaster zone’ along with three flood-hit areas Gimhae, Hapcheon and Haman in south Gyeongnam Province.

At the cabinet meeting yesterday, President Kim told officials to declare the three flood-hit areas and the one typhoon-hit area special disaster zones.

Presiding over the contingency meeting, he also said, “the government must exert its best effort to clean up and rebuild the areas devastated by torrential rains early last month and the destructive typhoon last weekend.”

“If necessary, additional budget must be allocated in consult with the National Assembly in a speedier manner,” presidential spokesperson Park Sun-sook quoted him as saying.

Declaration will enable flood victims to immediately receive financial support from state coffers, in addition to other benefits such as tax credits and bank loans.

Kim also asked people to make concerted effort for the clean-up effort, emphasizing “all the people, whether they themselves are victims or not, must help those suffering. It’s time to wage a nationwide fund-raising campaign such as the gold collection campaign years ago.”

Kim visited Gangneung later on the day to see the damage caused by the typhoon and console victims.

Dong-Ki Sung esprit@donga.com