[Editorial] Public Should Show Its Willingness to Overcome National Disaster

As damage from Typhoon Maemi is being disclosed, the damage is not only a simple natural calamity but also a national disaster. Prime Minisster Goh Kun presided over a meeting with related ministers to work out countermeasures and President Roh Moo-hyun visited hardest-hit areas by the fastest ever typhoon to hit the nation. Ruling and opposition parties also promised assistance in a bipartisan way. The nation should stop any form of political dispute faced with a national disaster.

What should be done first is to work out countermeasures rapidly and send enough rescue workers to the areas lashed by Typhoon Maemi. Most of all, in the process of devising countermeasures, voices at the field should be heard. An academic discussion over countermeasures results in only waste of budget and public donations and further discouragement of citizens who are suffering damage by the storm. Therefore the government and all the public officials should work together putting themselves in the place of victims of the storm.

It is essential to designate disaster areas and release emergency funds in a speedy manner. Areas which Typhoon Rusa wreaked havoc last year on were damaged by Maemi again. Perhaps it is related, in part, to the government`s procrastination in providing rehabilitation expenses. Therefore the ruling and opposition parties should work closely to draft a supplementary budget in order to help speed up the recovery.

At a time like this, military and police personnel and firefighters can do their part. We should pay much attention and provide assistance to them. It can be a good idea that if a company with personnel and equipment voluntarily participates in rehabilitation work, this company will be given priority in receiving construction orders.

One of the most important things is the public`s assistance and voluntary work. If one citizen is ready to share the burden with one victim, the current disaster can be overcome much earlier. The owner of an orchard where all the apples dropped due to the typhoon rather worries about other victims, saying that many suffered greater losses than he did. We find hopes that we can overcome the difficulties in the farmer`s sympathy for other victims. When their pain can be shared with us, they can have hopes for recovery.