Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said on the 20th, "I will open a channel to communicate directly with disaster victims at the Prime Minister's Office." Kim made the statement after visiting Gwangju, where two people have recently gone missing due to heavy rain, to assess the damage situation.
On the same day, Prime Minister Kim visited the area around Sinan Bridge in Buk-gu, Gwangju, to receive reports on the damage caused by flooding due to the collapse of a embankment. Authorities are searching the area after reports on the 17th that someone was swept away.
Prime Minister Kim met with residents and said, "I offer my condolences" and, "The government is mobilizing all means and resources to quickly stabilize the crisis and help you return to your daily lives."
He also stated, "If there were any shortcomings in the response process, we will reflect on it painfully, thoroughly review it, and definitely correct it," adding, "I will find answers on-site and prepare tailored measures suitable for the local situation."
Prime Minister Kim also visited a strawberry farm that suffered flood damage to hear on-site complaints. In response to a farmer's opinion that "there is more than a fourfold difference in disaster insurance premiums between cities and counties with the same area," he remarked, "That is a valid dispute" and said, "I will look for a reasonable solution."
He added, "We will prepare realistic and swift measures for livelihood stabilization and recovery in order for flooded farms to rebound as soon as possible, along with support for damage restoration."
Regarding the government's priorities, Prime Minister Kim responded to a question, saying, "The most urgent issues are emergency evacuation, recovery, and quarantine, and the basics are resolving food, clothing, and shelter; then comes emergency disaster prevention and structural improvements." He emphasized, "It is important to ensure that we do not face the same situation as last year."
Meanwhile, on that day, Gwangju Mayor Kang Ki-jung, Buk-gu District Mayor Moon In, and lawmakers Jeon Jin-sook and Jeong Jun-ho from the Democratic Party of Korea accompanied him during the site visit.
The Prime Minister's Office explained, "We intended to visit the site immediately after the flooding occurred, but it was determined that it was a priority for public officials to focus on disaster responses, so on-site inspections took place today as the rain subsided."