The government confirmed the damage from the heavy rain that occurred from 16th to 20th of last month to be the largest in the past 10 years at 1.0848 trillion won, and decided to invest a total of 2.7235 trillion won for recovery expenses.
According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety on the 17th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (Central Headquarters) decided on the damage cost and recovery expenses through deliberation. The heavy rain last month resulted in 24 deaths or missing individuals and 33 injuries, totaling 57 casualties.
The damage to private facilities is estimated at ▲4927 dwellings (fully destroyed 227 units, partially destroyed 220 units, flooded 4480 units) ▲30,556 hectares of agricultural and forest products (1 hectare equals 10,000 m²) ▲1447 hectares of farmland ▲approximately 1.86 million livestock ▲5480 small business sites.
Damage to public facilities includes ▲1017 rivers ▲1609 small rivers ▲654 landslide areas ▲806 roads ▲2095 small facilities ▲820 repair facilities, among others.
The confirmed damage from the heavy rain at 1.0848 trillion won is the highest in the past 10 years for natural disasters. The second highest was the rainfall from July 28 to August 11, 2020 (damage of 1.0371 trillion won, recovery cost of 3.4277 trillion won), and the third was the rainfall from June 27 to July 27, 2023 (damage of 751.3 billion won, recovery cost of 1.713 trillion won). Aside from these, there have been no natural disasters in the past 10 years with damage and recovery costs exceeding 1 trillion won.
Of the recovery cost of 2.7235 trillion won for this heavy rain damage, 2.4538 trillion won will be allocated for the recovery of public facilities. 1.3520 trillion won will be used for simple restoration of facilities with minor damage, while 1.0118 trillion won will be used to improve disaster prevention performance of facilities at high risk of recurring damage.
The remaining 269.7 billion won of the recovery expenses will be used for disaster relief funds for affected residents. For fully destroyed dwellings, an additional 60 million won will be provided on top of the existing government support (22 million won to 39.5 million won). Policyholders of disaster insurance will receive an additional 32 million won on top of their insurance payouts. The support costs for wallpaper, flooring, electronic appliances, and household goods will be doubled from the existing 3.5 million won to 7 million won.
Farmers who suffered damage to crops will receive up to 11 months' worth of living expenses in addition to the existing one month of living expenses, depending on the extent of the damage and the characteristics of the crops. Support unit prices for the 10 crops with severe damage (watermelon, cucumber, strawberry, chili pepper, cherry tomato, green onion, melon, zucchini, green onion, apple) and 8 forest products (persimmon, bracken, medicinal herbs, landscaping trees, grass, herbal medicines, firewood, and firewood material) will be adjusted to actual market prices, and the support rate will be increased from 50% to 100%.
The support rate for the entry cost of young livestock replacing those that died due to the heavy rain has also been increased from 50% to 100%. Support will be provided for all types of damaged agricultural machinery, with the support rate increased from 35% to 50%. The support rate for agricultural, livestock, forestry, and fisheries facilities damaged has been raised from 35% to 45%.
The support fund for small businesses affected at business sites will be increased from 5 million won to 10 million won.
Additionally, various indirect benefits will be provided to the affected citizens.
In general disaster areas, 24 benefits are provided, including ▲deferral of national tax payments ▲extension of local government tax deadlines ▲exemptions from national pension contributions ▲disaster recovery fund loans ▲emergency business stabilization fund loans ▲reduced water and sewage fees. In special disaster areas, an additional 13 benefits such as ▲reduced electricity and communication fees ▲reduced city gas fees are provided.
The state will bear 1.9951 trillion won of the recovery expenses, while local governments will cover the remaining 728.4 billion won. The government stated it will quickly provide national treasury subsidies to local governments according to the confirmed recovery plan to ensure that support for victims and restoration of public facilities is carried out as swiftly as possible.
Yoon Ho-joong, head of the Central Headquarters (Minister of Interior and Safety), said, "This recovery plan has been established to reflect as much as possible what the government can support to fundamentally prevent disasters and help the affected residents recover their daily lives quickly. I will do my best to ensure that the affected areas are reborn as safer and stronger living environments."