Prime Minister Han Seong-sook on the 11th visited Mochung-dong in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, where damage occurred due to heavy rains, to check the status of recovery and drainage facilities.
Upon arriving on site, the prime minister received a briefing from Cheongju officials on how dozens of households were flooded during the heavy rains on the 8th to 9th and the specific damage.
The prime minister said, "There can be extreme weather beyond previous levels," calling for even more thorough preparedness.
She then ordered, "Have the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment work together to conduct a full survey of areas prone to chronic flooding and analyze data to come up with region-specific measures," adding, "Select chronic flood-prone areas nationwide and inspect the most frequent ones first."
She also called for strengthening the inspection and management of drainage facilities and ensuring that related agencies carry out disaster prevention projects without setbacks.
The prime minister offered comfort to residents she met on site, saying, "You must be upset, but we will do a good job preparing measures." In response to residents' pleas that dredging the nearby river is necessary to reduce damage but the environmental authorities' permit procedures are complicated, she said, "It seems we need to have the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), the climate ministry, and local governments all take a look together."