On the 24th, Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo urged the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to "quickly take measures so that national donations can be distributed to the disaster victims this month."
During the "Central Safety Disaster Headquarters meeting on forest fire response" held at the Government Seoul Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Acting Prime Minister Han noted, "The largest-ever national donation has been raised."
Acting Prime Minister Han stated, "Although almost a month has passed since the large forest fires in the Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, and Ulsan regions were extinguished, 2,700 disaster victims are still staying in temporary lodging facilities." He added, "Each ministry must swiftly implement budgets and support measures so that the affected residents can return to their daily lives as soon as possible."
He remarked, "The most urgent issue currently is to resolve the housing discomfort of the disaster victims," and noted, "The government must actively prepare measures for the recovery and relief of forest fire damage and ensure these measures work effectively on the ground."
He continued, "We must carefully examine whether there are any missing measures" and requested, "The Ministry of Health and Welfare should develop more comprehensive support measures for the elderly who have lost their homes due to the forest fire." Acting Prime Minister Han also urged the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to thoroughly respond to prevent secondary damage, such as pollution from forest fire debris.
Acting Prime Minister Han called for disaster prevention measures. He stated, "For areas at risk of landslides, assess the risk levels in advance and immediately commence necessary reinforcement work," and added, "Ensure that rainwater can drain smoothly by maintaining drainage systems and rivers."
Acting Prime Minister Han stated, "The recovery from this forest fire damage will not simply revert to the previous state but will involve permanent restoration." He emphasized, "We will establish comprehensive measures to address climate change, revitalize the local economy, and protect ecosystems, and we will work to renew the areas affected by the forest fire. Please pay special attention to ensuring that no safety incidents occur during the recovery process."