Yoon Ho-jung, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS)), said on the 17th that the government would urgently provide the Disaster and Safety Special Grant Tax and disaster relief project funds to the Busan and South Gyeongsang regions.
The Deputy Minister convened a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters this morning in response to the heavy rain in South Gyeongsang and said this.
The Deputy Minister said, "Due to the heavy rain that began on the 15th, record-breaking downpours of more than 800 mm hit Geoje in South Gyeongsang," and added, "It is a very grave situation as the rain band is moving to nearby areas such as Busan and Ulsan and continues to bring rain."
He added, "In particular, there were heartbreaking casualties due to a landslide overnight, and with flooding across the city, I am very heavy-hearted."
The Deputy Minister also said, "The government raised the heavy rain disaster alert level to 'caution' yesterday, and has been operating level 1 of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters from 6 a.m. today for an all-out response."
He then asked related agencies to "mobilize all available personnel and equipment to prevent further spread of damage and to focus all capabilities on quickly rescuing isolated residents for prompt recovery."
The Deputy Minister said, "With continued rainfall, the risk of landslides and river flooding is very high," and added, "Thoroughly carry out preemptive evacuations to prevent damage to residents in areas adjacent to forests and in low-lying areas, and strictly block resident access through preemptive and bold controls in flood-prone areas such as coastal lowlands, underpasses, and underground parking lots."
The Deputy Minister said, "We ask relevant ministries and local governments to promptly restore infrastructure closely tied to residents' daily lives, such as roads, rivers, and power," and added, "To support the swift return to normal life for affected residents, including merchants, the government will urgently provide the Disaster and Safety Special Grant Tax and disaster relief project funds to the Busan and South Gyeongsang regions."