Government Designates Yongin, Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, Icheon, Anseong, and Yeoju as 'Special Disaster Areas'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gap-dong] Following the government's designation of six cities in Gyeonggi Province—Yongin, Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, Icheon, Anseong, and Yeoju—as special disaster areas on the 18th, Gyeonggi Province has decided to provide direct provincial support to areas not covered by government assistance to facilitate residents' swift return to daily life.

Vice Governor Kim Seong-joong stated in a briefing, "Although the Acting President has designated six cities in Gyeonggi Province as special disaster areas, government disaster support is designed primarily for heavy rain damage and public facilities. In cases of large-scale private facility damage such as this heavy snowfall, government support is insufficient. Additionally, cities and counties with low fiscal independence lack their own recovery capacity."

In response, the province has decided to allocate 9 billion won from Gyeonggi Province's Disaster Management Fund as a priority measure to support nine cities and counties—Gwangju, Yangpyeong, Ansan, Uiwang, Osan, Siheung, Gunpo, Gwangmyeong, and Anyang—that have suffered severe heavy snow damage but were excluded from special disaster area designation or lack sufficient central government support.

The province also plans to propose institutional improvements to the central government to ensure that government support standards align with reality and provide residents with practical assistance during large-scale disasters.

Vice Governor Kim stated, "The measures reviewed so far include improvements to disaster-related insurance systems, including expansion of agricultural and fisheries disaster insurance products, support for plastic greenhouse and livestock facility demolition costs, and realization of disaster relief funds, so that institutional improvements can be centered on disaster victims. Regarding cities and counties where current disaster recovery systems fall short of special disaster area designation criteria and are judged to lack sufficient support, we will refine the 'Gyeonggi Province Special Disaster Area Support Ordinance' in cooperation with the Gyeonggi Provincial Council and establish a new system called 'Gyeonggi Province Special Support Zone' (tentative name) to ensure swift and systematic support."

The province's policy is to complete this system by the first half of next year so that disaster recovery can proceed more rapidly and thoroughly.

Vice Governor Kim Seong-joong said, "I express deep gratitude to the volunteers and civil servants who made dedicated efforts during the heavy snow recovery process. Gyeonggi Province will do its utmost to help residents return to comfortable daily life as soon as possible."