Yeonggwang County’s Baeksu-eup Declared a Special Disaster Area; Additional National Funding for Torrential-Rain Recovery

[Financial News]  The government has declared Baeksu-eup in Yeonggwang County, Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, a special disaster area after homes and farmland were flooded by torrential rain late last month. As a result, the national government will provide additional funding for part of the recovery costs borne by the local government. Affected residents will also receive support, including deferred tax payments and reductions in public utility charges.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) said on the 18th that Baeksu-eup was declared a special disaster area at around 9 p.m. on the 17th, after receiving the president’s approval.
Yeonggwang County received up to 107.5 mm of rain per hour and a cumulative 579.5 mm from Aug. 28 through Sept. 1. The downpour flooded homes and farmland and damaged public facilities, including roads and rivers.
After conducting a central joint investigation from the 11th to the 14th, MOIS confirmed that the damage in Baeksu-eup exceeded the threshold for declaring a special disaster area.
For a city, county, or district, the damage must exceed 8.25 billion won, or 2.5 times the 3.3 billion won threshold for national funding, to qualify for designation as a special disaster area. An eup, myeon, or dong can be designated if its damage exceeds 825 million won, one-tenth of the threshold for the relevant city, county, or district.
Once an area is designated a special disaster area, the national government provides additional funding for part of the recovery costs that the local government would otherwise have to bear, easing the burden on local finances. Affected residents receive indirect support, such as deferred national and local tax payments and reductions in public utility charges, in addition to disaster relief payments. Disaster relief payments are provided at the same level regardless of whether an area is declared a special disaster area.
Yun Ho-jung, minister of the interior and safety, said, "We will quickly establish recovery plans and execute the recovery budget so residents can return to their daily lives as soon as possible."

[email protected] Lee Bo-mi Reporter